Caribou Crossing Chronicles .... of quilts, the weather and other fun stuff...

Photo of the Day February 14th

2012-02-15T07:04:00.001-08:00

The word for February 14th is ….heart, of course.

DH and I laughed over the electronic Valentines cards received from DDs # 2 and 3. We shared a fat and juicy t-bone steak, accompanied by parsnip fries and green salad – all homemade of course. A walk with the dog in the crisp evening air with beautiful green northern lights dancing in the sky. And then just a little bit of chocolate….

Janet

Photo of the day February 13th

2012-02-13T22:05:00.001-08:00

BLUE

Janet

This week (February 6 to 12) I….

2012-02-12T22:44:00.001-08:00

Had a really busy week and tonight I am tired….

Stayed in Whitehorse two nights as I had classes at the LQS in the evening… Stayed with my friend and we stayed up too late talking… Here’s what my piece looked like after the second class…

And here’s what it looked like after the third class…. I spent lots of time the third night unpicking after I sewed my first circle with too much tension on the wool and it caused puckers in the piece . I did get the circle redone and it looks great, but I need to do about 5 – 6 more circles. I didn’t get a chance to make any progress on it this weekend either….

Kept up with my exercise program, walking Monday through Thursday, snowshoeing on Friday and Saturday and skiing today….

Celebrated my birthday … it was on Wednesday but we had a family dinner this weekend. Also many birthday wishes on Facebook and a fruit platter party at work…

Made my 6 inch blocks for the January/February swap… they will go in the mail tomorrow….

And made one of my hexie flowers for the February swap….

Sewed in all the thread ends on the Fairy quilt but no other progress there.

Started cutting a new mystery Christmas quilt during the Christmas Quilt Along yesterday.

Whew! No wonder I’m tired…. I’m heading to bed…

Edited to add.... Not so fast... I almost forgot to show the lovelies I received in the mail this week!

From Jolanda my six inch blocks for December/January and three packages of green tea from "the only plantation in Europe"! I can't wait to try it.

From Alberta, my January hexies, 100 two inch squares for a private swap we did and a great little sewing kit...

From Rebekah and Samantha 100 two inch blocks each from Mary's scrappy swap.

Thank you all!

Janet

Photo of the day February 12th

2012-02-12T22:43:00.001-08:00

The word for today is “in my closet”. Hmmm…. this is getting personal

Last week I showed you a photo of my back/front door. This is what you see when you come in that door.

Winter coats, wind/snow pants, boots, overslippers, snowshoes, hubby’s tools…

Janet

Christmas Quilt Along 2012

2012-02-12T12:24:00.001-08:00

It was a short quilt along day for me yesterday as DD # 1, DSIL, DGD and DGS came out in the early afternoon to have a birthday celebration with me. DD and I went out for a nice snowshoe; even though it was a grey day, it was warm. We had “make your own pizzas” and butterscotch brownies with ice cream for desert. A fun time was had by all!

I did spend a couple of hours focussing on Christmas quilting. I purchased a mystery quilt kit from Anna Lena's before last Christmas, hoping to make it in time for next Christmas. I am going to work on it during Christmas Quilt Along days, but I also want to make Quilt Sue's mystery quilt. Oh so much to do…

The mystery quilt kit only has three steps to making the top, so I worked on step one yesterday, cutting the pieces. And here they are, all ready for sewing together next month. Hmmm… what will they look like?

This year Christmas Quilt Along will be hosted by a different person each month, and I agreed to host November. Eek!

Thank-you Hazel for hosting the Quilt Along day for February!

Janet

Photo of the day February 11th

2012-02-11T22:22:00.001-08:00

The word for today is “something that I love”…

The photo says it all…

DGS DGD and friend

Janet

Photo of the day February 10th

2012-02-10T22:14:00.001-08:00

The word for today is “self portrait”. It’s a beautiful sunny day today. I had to get out and enjoy the weather… from head…

to toe!

Janet

Photo of the day February 9th

2012-02-10T22:08:00.001-08:00

The word for today is “front door”. I didn’t see mine until after dark…. I call this the front door; DH says the one on the other side of the house is the front door. I’m going with my version

Janet

Photo of the day February 8th

2012-02-10T22:03:00.001-08:00

Today is my birthday, so I’m happy that the word for today is “Sun”. And it promises to be a beautiful sunny day, once the ice fog burns off.

Janet

Photo of the Day February 7th

2012-02-10T21:59:00.001-08:00

The photo word for today is “button”. Button, button, so very many buttons.

Janet

Photo of the day February 6th

2012-02-10T21:55:00.001-08:00

I am behind with posting my photos this week. I was too busy all week to get around to it so I’m posting them all today. But I’ll post them separately so that I can link up with Julianne.
February 6th word was “dinner”. Dinner on Monday was a rush between work and my course at the LQS. Leftover stew – YUM!

Janet

This week–January 30th to February 5th– I…

2012-02-05T22:47:00.001-08:00

Stayed in Whitehorse Monday to Thursday again. It was fun having a little pseudo holiday with my friend at the girl cave, but I am happy I’m not going back there again this week. Although I will be staying in Whitehorse two nights because…

I started a class at my LQS. I was on a waiting list for this class and got a call two days before saying that they had a space. There was a ton of prep for the class but my friend Dahn gave me her box of prepared fabrics to work out of. She is such a dear! The class is on Carol Taylor's method of couching. Carol was in Whitehorse last fall giving a class but I didn’t get to go because I was working on the election. The owner of our LQS received permission from Carol to put on a class to teach her technique. So lucky for me. This is Carol`s technique.

In the first class I got my background fabric completed….

There are two more classes, on Monday and Wednesday evenings this week….

I stayed on track with exercising. Walked on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, snow shoed on Saturday and Sunday, and on Wednesday…. I went swimming! First time I`ve been to the big pool in Whitehorse in about four years. Swam 30 lengths at 45 seconds a length equals 22 minutes of swimming…

Received my last two dragon postcards….

And completed and mailed the two that I had to send….

And I did some quilting on the fairy quilt…. Finished the stars in the inner sashing and started outlining the zigzag. I just need to finish the zigzag lines and the stars in the outer border and I can put on the binding!

Oh yeah… I have to bury all those threads too…

Have a great week everyone!

Janet

Photo of the day February 5th

2012-02-05T22:25:00.001-08:00

The word for today is 10 a.m. Well here is 10 a.m. and 17 seconds…

It looks like I need to spend less time doing photo challenges and more time cleaning my walls
Janet

February 4th Photo of the Day

2012-02-04T22:47:00.001-08:00

The word for today is “a stranger”. This word is very difficult for me. I live in a small town. In winter we don’t have tons of visitors to our town. When I go out for a walk here, I am not that likely to run into anyone, and if I do it isn’t likely to be a stranger. I considered switching the words around so I could get “a stranger” photo on a day I was in Whitehorse. But I didn’t, I’m playing by the rules
I have waffled on what picture to post. I considered taking a picture of the book I'm a Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson. But then I realized I don’t own the book.
I have two offerings – they are both somewhat lame and I can’t decide which is the lamest. The first: Mr. Sun who hasn’t been around much this winter. He was here today. Welcome Stranger!

The second: I did meet someone while out snowshoeing today. I was watching my feet then looked up to see someone in the distance. Could it be “a stranger”???

Well it wasn’t – but I had a few moments of wondering if I might be able to fulfill the word for today.
No mail today, so I didn’t post anything.
Janet

Photo a day and Snail Mail February 3rd

2012-02-03T23:38:00.001-08:00

The word for today is Hands. I was alone all day until I went to a class at the quilt store this evening. Have you ever tried to take a photo of your own hands? A few of the ladies in the class were discussing which threads we should be using for the piece we’re making, so I was able to get a shot of hands with thread.

As for snail mail, I sent two pieces off today. A parcel for DD # 3 in Victoria. Nothing too exciting, just a Christmas present from her cousin that arrived after she had already left to go back to school, and some mail. The second piece is a parcel of 2 inch squares for Alberta. She and I agreed to do a private swap of these little charms.
Janet

Photo a Day February 2nd

2012-02-02T19:31:00.001-08:00

The word for today is…. Words. Here are many words that I have floating around in my life….

Edited to add my snail mail for today - a letter for an old friend who lives in Toronto. I love her dearly, but I haven't communicated with her for about two and a half years. About time! This excuse for reconnecting is exactly the reason I decided to participate in snail mail a day for February.

Janet

February Photo a Day - Edited to add - and Snail Mail a Day

2012-02-02T19:29:00.001-08:00

Not that I need something else to do, but….I decided to follow along with Julianne's photo a day for February. It isn’t actually her challenge – she found it somewhere on Pinterest, but I’m going to link up with her blog.

So without further ado here is my February 1st photo, My View Today (which was actually my view yesterday).

This picture was taken at about 9:50 a.m., giving you an idea of how dark it still is here. This is the view out of my office at work in Whitehorse.

Edited to add: I am also participating in a snail mail a day for February. I don't remember where I picked up this idea from and I am not linking up to anywhere for it so I've decided to record it along with my photos. So... Snail mail for February 1st was my three fabric Year of the Dragon postcards. Now this feels a bit like cheating to me since they were part of a totally separate swap, but since there were three of them, I think they can qualify. :)
Janet

This week I …. (January 23–January 29)

2012-01-29T23:38:00.001-08:00

Took pictures of snow to help the hot Australians cool off…No sun here this week so the photos are dull…

Stayed in Whitehorse from Monday through Thursday… Some friends rent an apartment in Whitehorse and they are away. They offered the use of the apartment to my friend Donna and I. It was interesting getting home from work at 4:45 p.m. and going for an after work walk in the daylight. I missed DH, the dog and my bed though… I’ll be staying there again this week coming up….
Went to a play. I haven’t been to a play in years. This wasn’t the right play to resume a play-going career with. It was called Almighty Voice and his Wife” by Daniel David Moses. It was very “edgy” and was not the kind of play one leaves saying “I liked it”. Here is what it is about…

Almighty Voice and His Wife tells the story of a Native hero/victim from two different perspectives. Almighty Voice was a 19th century Saskatchewan Cree, whose poaching of a settler’s cow resulted in his incarceration, escape from jail and his shooting of a Mountie. He was tracked down by a large group of police and civilians, and shot. The first act provides a naturalistic portrait of Almighty Voice and his wife, White Girl. The second act shows how the story has been appropriated by a non-Native society in an attempt to locate an “almighty Native voice.” Almighty Voice is now a Ghost and his wife White Girl is the Interlocutor or Master of Ceremonies, dressed as a Mountie. Both wear whiteface, and engage in a parodic vaudeville routine which mocks the expectations and assumptions of a White audience.

Started my new year exercise routine….20 minutes a day minimum of walking, skiing, running, snow shoeing…. I walked Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, and snow shoed on Friday….

Got together with friends to prepare some dinners for the freezer….lasagne and squash/apple soup… We all went home with two pans of lasagne and three containers of soup, enough for about eight meals…

Received my first Year of the Dragon postcard from the swap I’m participating in… very ferocious…

Also received the first of my Mystery Muse offerings…. My word is Happiness and I received this imaginative box…

I can write my happiness wishes or achievements each month on one of the twelve panels… too cute…

I completed my second Mystery Muse offering for my giftee…These are the Chinese/Japanese/Kanji symbols for “brave spirit”. I hope I’ve written them correctly – I bet a little mistake in a brush stroke can change the meaning…This is a postcard by the way….I didn’t take a photo of the back…

I finished cutting the three matching sets of 100 – 2 inch blocks…I have plans for more but haven’t started yet.

And I made a little progress on quilting the fairy quilt…I finished stitching around all the blocks… then I tried leaves but didn’t like how they were looking so I ripped them out and I’m doing stars….

I don’t know if I’ll get this done this week because I still have to finish two Year of the Dragon postcards before the end of January….Yikes!!!

I’m off to bed...
Janet

TUSAL

2012-01-27T21:36:00.001-08:00

I’m linking up to Daffycat's Totally Useless Stitch-a-long. Where you save your thread ends and miniscule scraps (she calls these ORTs which stands for Old Ratty Threads) and post a picture of them on the date of the new moon each month.
Well I know the new moon was on Monday, but I was away and I swear this is how my jar looked on Monday.
Daffycat only saves threads but I love the colourful look of all the teeny scraps too. I have a lot of them right now from cutting all the two inch blocks. And this is a FUN stitch-along where you can really keep whatever you want and post when you can.
I think some people keep their ORTs for stuffing dog beds and such. I actually throw these away. This is shocking because I am the kind of person who recycles EVERYTHING! The summer before last I tried putting all my threads and cotton scraps in my compost heap, but they didn’t decompose all that well. I guess because they are processed. And probably the dyes aren’t that great for the garden.
So without further ado, here is my January ORT pile.

Please don’t fret. Although some of those piece might LOOK large, I promise you there are no pieces that are useable.
My jar already has some ends and threads as we build toward the next new moon.
Janet

This week (January 16–22) I

2012-01-22T23:38:00.001-08:00

Survived the first real cold weather we’ve had this winter. Low –30s all week. Car pooled to work with a friend most days. Wore my long johns and felt packs and carried extra clothes in case the car broke down. Had an electric heater on in my freezing office. Cold weather really zaps the energy though and it was a busy work week as well. It’s warmed up to –25 or so now. Right balmy so I ….
Went for a nice long snowshoe this afternoon….
Received this lovely Christmas block from Sue. Thanks Sue…

Made these hexies for my January swap partner, Alberta ….

Made this block for my January partner in Victoria's New Bee swap, Kathy…

Made this strip block to send to Karen for the group strip quilt…

Participated, somewhat half-heartedly, in Friday Night Sew In. Check this post to see the little bit of sewing I got done….
Made this Christmasy mug rug top….don’t ask why I’m making a Christmas mug rug now….someone gave me the half square triangles and they were calling out to me to be sewn…

Finished cutting my second two sets of 2 inch blocks for Mary's Postage Stamp Charm Swap and Challenge….I’ve now got 400 charms cut….and started cutting three more sets…

Whew! I think that’s enough for one week!
Janet

Resolved to Sew

2012-01-22T14:33:00.001-08:00

I am linking up with Very Berry Handmade's huge 2012 resolution and giveaway. Go check it out!

My resolutions:

1. All three of my daughters are graduating this year, two in June and one in November – that means graduation quilts! DD # 2 already had one graduation quilt, but since I have another quilt started for her, a second graduation quilt seems like a fine idea. The top for DD # 3s is almost finished, and I don’t have a clue what to do for DD # 1.

2. I signed up for a BOM quilt from Fat Quarter Shop. I want to try to keep up with it month by month.

3. At the beginning of the year I thought I wanted to resolve not to join any more swaps. Because they take a lot of time and cut into my “me” sewing. But I like swaps. It’s fun to meet people, try things I might never otherwise try and receive fun mail. So I’m going to resolve to be judicious in signing up for swaps and not get myself overwhelmed. And I resolve to make sure that I post pictures of the swap items I receive. I' haven’t always been diligent in doing that.

4. I have already resolved to finish four of my UFO quilts this year. DDs # 2 and # 3”s quilts will count as two of them. These are the other two I want to finish. The first is a present for a friend that has been in the making much too long – about four years. The other is my colours quilt, which is for me.

5. I have a couple of smaller UFO items that I want to get finished this year as well. This table runner that is half-way quilted and this pincushion.

6. Try something new. I’m not sure what it will be…. I am interested in trying a selvedge quilt, a crazy quilt, and I’ve started a collection of silk ties for a tie quilt. I’m taking a class using shrinking backing that gives you cool textures. I’d love to make an EPP quilt with all the various stars – although EPP isn’t new to me, shapes other than hexagons are. I’m sure the mysteries of the quilting world will unfold for me as they should.

7. The biggest and best… I want to have fun and stay in touch with quilting blog buddies!

Janet

Friday Night Sew In report

2012-01-21T18:41:00.001-08:00

I did not have an extremely productive FNSI. Too zapped from the cold week; I watched lots of shows on tv and didn’t even hand stitch. I did make a little bit of quilting progress on this baby quilt which I started before Christmas.

So far I’ve just quilted around the inner and outer squares. And I have to bury my threads.

I want to quilt along the zigzag between the two squares and do something in the sashing – maybe leaves or stars or….
Any suggestions?
Janet

Nosy Parker in the Neighbourhood–Sewing

2012-01-20T00:29:00.001-08:00

I missed linking up for part 2 which was about Christmas…. but too late now, we’re on to new things…Like Sewing – Yeah!

Edited to add what I forgot- the link back to Kat's Nosey Parker link up site.

1) How long have you been sewing? Are you a first generation sewer or was the knowledge handed down to you? Basically tell us about your journey...
I remember sewing when I was quite young, four or five years old. I actually have evidence that I sewed when I was that young, in the form of a pot holder that I made for my mother. My mother never used it. It lived in the linen cupboard for years and years. I thought I was very clever because I embroidered her initials “BREW” on it and they spelled a word. Only those were the initials of her maiden name. Her married initials were “BRC”. I always thought she kept it hidden in the cupboard because it wasn’t acceptable to have a potholder with her maiden name initials on it. It was only in more recent years that I started to think maybe she kept it safely put away because she was so proud of me. I wish I had a picture to show you but DD # 1 had the pot holder - I need to get her to take a picture for me.
My mother sewed. She did lots of mending and when she didn’t have children at home anymore she sewed clothes for herself. She had this little Singer featherweight and that’s what I first learned to sew on. I am thrilled to have this machine now although I don’t use it too often.
I suppose my mother must have taught me something about sewing, although I don’t remember that particularly. I do remember taking home ec in grade 8 and sewing a couple of items: a lined pantsuit and a pair of bell bottom pants. I learned embroidery and cross stitch as well when I was young, and how to knit. I never have learned crochet.
I always loved stitching and textiles and thread. I took weaving courses when I was a young adult and imagined a career in that area, but it wasn’t to be. I sewed lots of items by hand and machine: toys and clothes for my kids, useful household items (since DH and I lived in tents for about ten years, cloth had a big place in terms of storage for items and things like tent flys, doors etc.), and decorative things like Christmas decorations and wall hangings. I knitted socks, sweaters, scarves, mitts and a few shawls. I started my first quilt the year I was married. It was an applique quilt but I don’t remember the pattern; it was made out of green solids in a variety of hues and whites. I had most of the applique blocks done when our tent burned down with everything we owned, including my quilt. I didn’t start another quilt until about eight years ago when I made a few baby quilts. Then I discovered some quilting friends, both in person and on the computer and my love of sewing has been revived in a big way.

2) Where do you sew?
I have a sewing room, an addition to our house that DH built for me. It is small – about 9’ x 10’ - and often messy but it is my space. DD # 3’s boyfriend was in it recently, when she was sewing her apron, and he said “I like this room”. I like it too.

3) What does your sewing room/area look like today in it's real state. Take a picture of it if possible and show it to us real :)
Okay, I’m going to show you, but please look past the clutter. It is actually quite organized – although somewhere in this room is a pair of quilting gloves and a colour wheel that I can’t find.

The sewing corner. My Bernina, which I love. A basket of selvages in the corner. The pile of BIG mending – sleeping bags that need some recovering. My little scissors with the scissor keep from Melody. My chicken pincushion, made by my friend Dahn. The big ironing board that I seldom use, except to pile things on.

The ironing board I do use, under the big picture window, my cutting mat and my rulers. I love the ruler stands, one of the best organizers I have. A pile of home dye scraps in the corner I need to put away. Other fabric scraps from which I am cutting 2 inch blocks for Mary's Postage Stamp Quilt Swap and Challenge. Felt and buttons that I bought to play with next time my DGD and DGS come over. My vase of bits and pieces of thread and tiny fabric bits which will eventually go in the garbage. Do you like the two tone walls? DH did some window retrofits a couple of years ago and didn’t have blue paint for the walls, so we’re trying out yellow.

The third corner – a storage area. Piles of fabric and odd bits. I know where almost everything is in those piles. And lots of lovely things that I like to look at, some that I made, some gifts from others: a pin cushion from Nova, a scrappy basket from Cindy, the little bag in front from Katy, which I use to carry my hand stitching projects. A foot pattern on the wall for the mukluks I said I’d make for my psedo-daughter. The green bag which is the REAL garbage pail. And my board full of interesting bits and pieces.

And the other storage corner. More fabric piled up. I get lots of sun in this room, so try to keep the fabric covered. The Mona Lisa. Bags and boxes full of thread. Pin cushions, pins and needles. My Ooh La La wall hanging from Em, which I need to pin back up. A fishy batik DD # 3 brought me from Mexico. The yellow danger tape is going into a garbage mini-quilt one of these days.

4) What is the first thing that you made which you were really proud of. Show us pics of your favourite project.I like most things that I make but I’ll show you something that I made a couple of years ago. I took a series of “art quilting technique” classes at my LQS. We all took our pieces from the classes and made items for a show. It was great fun.
I painted the purple, red and silver fabric with acrylic paints. I didn’t like it at all, but when I cut it up and paired it with the solid red and purple, I loved it. The fabric piece is unbacked and unbound - just mounted on a white canvas. I have this piece in my bedroom where I can look at it every day.

5) Do you always stick to the "rules" when you sew, or are you more improvisationally minded?
I don’t follow many rules. Sometimes I use patterns, but more often I just put pieces of fabric beside each other and more them around until I find what pleases me. I have had to teach myself most often – which means that I have had free rein to do things my own way.
Janet

This week I…..(January 9–15)

2012-01-15T22:50:00.001-08:00

Noticed that the light is starting to return; it isn’t completely dark when I leave work anymore….
Experienced my first really cold weather this winter…. – 25 today and the wind chill makes it feel like –40s…it is supposed to be in the –30s tonight and tomorrow with more wind chill….
Saw this bizarre sight in my town….A German tire company called Fulda brings many of its employees to the Yukon each winter as a reward and they go to different places and do activities. They are all issued identical clothing and drive identical vehicles. Here they are having a competition hauling logs on a sled, but it was very windy and bitter cold out and I’m sure they were wondering why they were doing this…

Received my lovely January Adventure block from Susan….

And made this block for her. The pattern is Lynne's Lynne Bob Square Pants. Susan wanted it with whites instead of blacks, and modern fabrics….

Received my December hexie flowers from Lynette… She sent a couple of cute charm squares too. So sweet of her….

Made this inspiration item for my Mystery Muse partner….you can see I utilized my dragon again…

Finished cutting my 100 packs of 2 inch blocks for the swap and started cutting a couple more sets…

And most exciting, DH and I celebrated our 34th anniversary yesterday. We went and stayed overnight at our friends’ cabin in Atlin, two hours drive from home. Cold, but very beautiful…

I hope your week has been equally full and wonderful…
Janet

This week I….

2012-01-08T22:53:00.001-08:00

Went cross country skiing twice, on Monday and today…
Took a day and a half off work with the stomach flu – feeling better finally today…
Read The Help by Kathryn Stockett. An excellent read…
Watched the movie Midnight in Paris and enjoyed it immensely…
Received these blocks in the mail: December adventure block from Margaret…..

November six inch blocks from Robyn…

I sewed these six inch blocks for the January swap with Jolanda…

And this block for the January Christmas swap with Sue…

I made this postcard for a Yahoo group postcard swap I am in. I drew the dragon using this tutorial…

I have to make two more Year of the Dragon postcards for the swap…
I prepared ten of these hexies to send to DD # 2 for the Grandmother’s Flower Garden stepping stones…I’m not sure how preparing the hexies became my job…

And I cut two sets of fifty-five two inch blocks for the

at The Curious Quilter. I have to cut forty-five more blocks for each set as we are swapping sets of a hundred…

It feels like a productive week… Back to work tomorrow…
How was your week?
Janet

New Year’s Eve gifts

2012-01-05T21:48:00.001-08:00

I received great mail on the last Friday of the year; several items that I won in the pre Christmas Blog Hop Party and Sew Mama Sew and lots of other giveaway frenzy arrived, and I am sooooo lucky!

First up I won this lovely pattern from Daphne Greig.

This is such an interesting design and I’m going to have to try it out soon, maybe on a block for a swap

Margaret from Applique Addict picked six different winners for batik charm squares in a range of colours. I won the blues. So beautiful! I haven’t decided what I’m going to do with them yet.

I also won the GRAND PRIZE from Jamie at Terrabyte Farm. This parcel was so big. DH picked it up from the post office and insisted I open it while he watched.

He laughed as I pulled things out of the box one after the other. There was just so much in there. And he already thinks I have a lot of sewing stuff

His laughing quieted a bit when I showed him the awesome wool from the Terrabyte Farm sheep. And when he saw the package of heavy duty specialty hand sewing needles he grew really interested. Remember that hubby sews leather from time to time. Then he said “Her husband must be a bow hunter.” This is high praise coming from him. Jamie has seen told me that no, her hubby isn’t a bow hunter, but I am not passing that message on!

Lovely wool and felted pieces. In the tin is wonderful beeswax hand salve, also from the farm. I know just what I’m going to do with the felted pieces.

A fat quarter case and almost enough pieces of fabric to fill it. I love the orangey fall range of colours and there are different fabric weights too.

And look at this bounty of sewing notions: hand needles – 4 packages of different kinds, machine needles – 6 packages with four different kinds, thread, bobbins, 2 sizes of elastic, snaps, 2 sizes of iron on patches, a lint brush, pins, needle threaders and iron on fusible web. Jamie’s sister works as a marketing assistant with the US distributor for Singer. I will definitely use all of this! I had been thinking lately that I need to renew my hand sewing needle supply in particular. Well no more!

Then, as if I hadn’t been spoiled enough, I won a stocking from Robin in the stocking giveaway she organized on her blog. And oh I was starting to feel overwhelmed with the bounty… The presents from Robin were lovingly wrapped but I tore them open before I even thought about taking a picture. So I had to stuff them back in the stocking and pretend. Here is the stocking ready for hanging by the chimney with care…

Look at all the lovelies! A bag pattern, a skirt pattern, a Schnibbles pattern (the first I’ve ever seen), two cute ornament kits, thread snips, a lovely piece of bright fabric (we all know I LOVE bright fabric), a little notebook and pen and six spools of thread. And a lovely bell ornament that I seem to have forgotten to take a full picture of, but you can see it peeking out of the top of the stocking above.

This package must have been roughly handled at the post office because look at the plastic spools.

Bits of plastic broken off and floating free in the bags. Fortunately I have all those new bobbins that I can load them onto.

So I may not have been spoiled in the sewing area at Christmas but I sure was for the New Years round. Now I just have to get on with some actual sewing!

Janet

New Year’s Day

2012-01-02T21:44:00.001-08:00

Your going to start to think that I am going to post everday! I’m not, I just have a lot of posts to catch up on right now.

DD # 3 came over yesterday so she could finish sewing the apron she was making her boyfriend’s sister for Christmas. She used to sew freehand when she was very small and I still have a doll that she made. But she hasn’t sewn for years. She often says she wants to make something but never follows through, until now. Here she is hard at work.

And ta da!

After dinner we played Euchre and partners Cribbage on our new crib board – a gift from DD # 2’s “friend” in Newfoundland.

This board is very fun to play on – you go up over the hill and down into the valleys. (Sorry the photo is terrible.) This board is made from a moose antler….

All the way from Newfoundland. Some facts about Newfoundland. The provincial flag is green, white and pink! I never knew that but there is a Newfoundland flag painted on the top of the board. Albeit they have since come up with a more modern flag but the green, white and pink is the original. Go here to see the flag and learn some history.

Moose were an introduced species to Newfoundland around the turn of the century (the last century – ie 1900). Now there are more moose per square inch in Newfoundland than anywhere else in the world; approximately 150,000 moose.

Newfoundland practices the interesting Christmas custom of mummery – people dress in strange costumes and go door to door, where they are fed and plied with liquor. Music and dance are important pieces of the tradition. Here is an old time video…it’s sort of like a home invasion….

DD # 2’s friend sent me a mummer tree ornament. I love it!

And on into 2012!

Janet

Looking back on 2011

2012-01-02T00:22:00.001-08:00

I was thinking I hadn’t done much sewing in 2011, then I made a mosaic. I realized that I have done LOTS of sewing. I only made two full size quilts this past year, but I made lots of smaller items. Here is my mosaic. I didn’t figure out how to add the captions, so I’ll list what they are below the photo.

Left to right, top to bottom: 1. Mug rug, my Yukon home, I kept this one. 2. Hanging case for my measuring spoons. 3. Mug rug for Beth, Mug Rug Swap Adventure # 1. 4. Pin cushion for Isijem, Scrappy Pincushion Swap. 5. Toadstool pin cushion, this one was for me. 6. Brown bag quilt top. I would like to get this one backed and quilted this year. 7. Hot pad made for Jody in the Hot Pad Swap. 8. Mug rug for Helen, Goodie Swap. 9. Mini quilt for Beth, 12 X 12 Something from Nothing Swap. 10. Garbage mini quilt. I wanted to do a garbage series but this is the only one I got done. 11. Postcard for Fiona, for our private “one year of blogging” swap. 12. Mug rug for Hattie, Mug Rug Swap Adventure # 2. 13. Mug rug for Narelle, Crafty Pug’s Christmas Mug Rug Swap. 14 & 15. Front and back of quilt made for friends who got married in September. 16. Bag for Helen, Goodie Swap. 17. Bag for Kathleen, Goodie Swap. 18. Mug Rug for Kathleen, Goodie Swap. 19. Post card for Sheila, her Post Card Swap. 20. Pin cushion for Marian, Kat’s Scrappy Swap. 21. Mug rug for Hilary, Mug Rug Swap Adventure # 3. 22. Table runner for Lynne, Modern Christmas Table Runner Swap. 23. Bag for DD # 1’s 32nd birthday. 24. The fabulous quilt for DGS. 25. A blind for DD # 2’s bedroom – many years in the making.

I participated in lots of swaps this year! I also participated in a couple of round robins – the 15 Minutes Play Challenge, the Crazy Pincushion Quilt Along, – and five monthly block swaps – Adventure Block Swap, Christmas Block Swap, 6 inch Block Swap, Inchy Hexagon Swap and Victoria’s New Bee Block Swap.

I am behind on three obligations from 2012: a scissor keep for Kerry, a pay it forward for Cheryl and a cat block for Em.

For 2012 I am determined that I won’t sign up for so many swaps. I’ve already signed up for three though….Somebody please rein me in!

Other big events for 2011: my 8000 kilometer journey across Canada in February, starting a new job at the beginning of August, a great potato crop this summer, a really nice trip with DH in November.

I don’t know what 2012 will bring but I have lots of intentions for being a nicer person, spreading more love and being happy.

Janet

Happy New Year

2011-12-31T17:50:00.001-08:00

Christmas was wonderfully fun! My s-i-l drove 1500 miles with her two teenage children to spend it with us. DD#2 flew in (well flew to Edmonton and then drove) from Charlottetown at the other end of the country. And she only had to work five shifts on the ambulance, one of them 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. Christmas Eve. They lost two people to heart attacks that night…. DD # 3 flew in from Victoria and her boyfriend was home as well.

Many stockings were hung by the chimney with care…

On Christmas day we opened stockings, ate a wonderful breakfast – scrambled eggs, coffee cake, bacon (the best bacon in the world all the way from Victoria), grapefruit, pineapple and homemade Baileys to go in the tea or coffee.

DD # 3 is our professional pineapple cutter. She learned the technique from her Thai auntie.

Then there was a lot of present opening and a casual afternoon long feed of cold meat, cheese, vegetables and dip, crackers, and two kinds of trifle for dessert . Lots of games were played; euchre and cribbage seemed to be the most popular and we had a few tournaments.

My big present is my Kobo book reader. We do name exchanges for stockings, one present in family and one present each for both DH and my extended family. So you buy and receive three presents and fill a stocking. Makes life way easier. This of course doesn’t include the little children. They got lots of presents.

I received a few quilty things. In my stocking were a few items I’ve been hankering for – more straight pins, a long measuring tape – and the green item is a nifty ceramic cutting tool. It isn’t for fabric but for paper.

A quilting friend gave me this fabulous tote box, which will be wonderful when going to retreats or sewing sessions.

And lovely presents from two non-quilting friends: a wonderful pincushion – the black part is made from a tin can - and a great looking book.

On Boxing Day my nephew and two nieces came to visit as well as DD# 3’s boyfriend. We had our big turkey dinner. Son-in-law cooked the turkey, which was wonderful! Mashed potatoes, baked yams, Brussels sprouts, carrots and Baklava created by Sister-in-law. Then several game marathons: Pit, Euchre, Apples to Apples and the younger folk played Pictionary into the wee hours.

DD # 2 and S-i-I are gone. DD # 3 is around for a while but is currently hanging out with her boyfriend in Whitehorse. There were only a couple of BIG EVENTS over the holiday. We went skating down on the arm. There was some snow but a nice cleared patch and we were having a lovely skate…

when S-i-l fell and cracked her head open. She had to get four stitches in the back of her head, but fortunately there was no concussion. Then when S-i-l left on December 28th she forgot her purse! She didn’t discover it wasn’t with her until she went to buy gas 500 km down the highway. Fortunately her daughter has a credit card and they were able to continue on home. The purse, along with all her necessities of life is on its way home now. Despite these escapades S-i-l said she and her kids had a wonderful time. She is trying to convince us all to go to Thailand for Christmas next year…. hmmm….if I’m going that far, I’ll have to continue on to Australia….

My wish for this evening is to stay home and relax but we are invited to a party and DH wants to go so I guess we’ll be out and about for a bit.

I hope everyone has a happy, healthy, love-filled new year!

Janet

But Granma, Where’s the Quad?

2011-12-31T17:47:00.001-08:00

I finished the quilt around midnight on Christmas Eve. Well except for about half an hour’s worth of quilting that got done on the 27th. But it was bound and ready to use despite the need for a slight bit of finishing.

It measures approximately 49 by 65 inches.

The panel at top and bottom and the road backing fabric are both from South Sea Imports “Going Places” line.

The blue sashing is “Puzzle Pieces” by Moda.

The black “read as solid” in the backing is a “Marbles” by Moda.

Vehicle blocks came from my own stash and from donations from many sources: Kerry, Melody, Karen, Julie, Linda, Sue (whose blog name I can’t remember – Sue if you read this please tell me your blog name so I can correct this), my friend Jo, my friend Donna’s mother (age 86 or so, she provided the hog on a hog piece) and my sister-in-law Lori. If I have missed anyone who donated I apologize profusely. It is not from a lack of appreciation. I could never have gathered this wonderful variety on my own! Thank you all.

I quilted the names of the different vehicles in the crosswise sashing, but not in the same order as the pictures. It can be a game for DGS to match them up once he starts to read. The vertical sashing has three big Xs in each piece. I also quilted around each of the vehicle fabrics. The panels are freehand quilted following the lines in the pictures. They didn’t end up exactly the same. On the two big blue side panels I wrote the name of the quilt and label info – for DGS from me, date and place. The outside of those two panels has simple stipple quilting.

The binding is a “Marble Dot” by Moda in green. I used this same fabric for the binding on DGD’s I Spy quilt that she got for Christmas last year. I like that there is that connection between the two quilts.

DGS really loves his quilt. He was known to say on several occasions when others picked it up “Hey, that’s MY blanket.” He had it laid out on the living room floor running his cars up and down the roads as soon as all the scraps of wrapping paper were cleaned up.

I found the quilting on this quilt went quite quickly. I’m getting better at it all the time!

And yes, I called it, “But Granma, Where’s the Quad?”!

Janet

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-22T09:58:00.001-08:00

The DDs from afar are home. My s-i-l and her two children have arrived after their long (two day) drive. The tree is up.

S-i-l is in the kitchen baking bread….and look how happy she is to be cooking….

DH has finished his sewing….

DGS’s quilt is almost done – I just have the binding left do. The grandkids are here so I have to wait until they go home this evening to get it finished.

I hope everyone has a very happy Christmas!

Yupiq Eskimo Village of Quinhagak, Alaska

Janet

Giveaway Winner

2011-12-18T15:50:00.001-08:00

I have been totally overwhelmed by the number of people who responded to my giveaway and became new followers of my blog! I have 100 more followers than I did when this crazy started. Thank-you and welcome to all my new followers. You’ll find that I am a sporadic poster. I won’t plaster you with many messages a day and sometimes it will be a couple of weeks until you hear from me.

I am going to pick a winner today, by hook or by crook, if I can get Random Number Generator to appear here…. But I can’t make it work… please someone who knows how to copy and paste it let me know.

However I do have a winner. Random Number Generator did choose and you’ll have to take me on good faith. The winner is Lynne, commenter # 5 who said on 12/9/11:

“I am a follower. I live in Sydney in Australia. I like living here because the climate is temperate and democracy is alive and well!”

Lynne please contact me with your postal information so I can send you your prize.

Since I was going to do a 100 follower giveaway and I now have 200 followers, you can be sure there will be an even bigger giveaway coming up. It will have to wait for after Christmas because I am too busy doing things like this…

And this…

And sewing like mad to get all the gifts made!

Is everyone else ready for Christmas?

Janet

Friday Night Sew In Report

2011-12-17T10:46:00.001-08:00

Last night I put together the back for my grandson’s quilt and started quilting. Just straight line quilting so far. I want to get a good stint in on it today and have to cook a turkey, make salad and make cranberry sauce for the community Christmas dinner that my craft club is cooking and serving for this evening.
The completed front….

And the back…..

What are you doing with your Saturday, or Sunday, as may be?
Janet

Friday Night Sew In Report

2011-12-10T14:33:00.001-08:00

I got a good start on the vehicle quilt for my grandson last night. Figured out the layout and sewed the block strips together.

Can you spot my mistake? Probably not because the picture is too small. I sewed this block in upside down.

But I caught it before I sewed on the long sashing so I fixed it….

Right side up now. I finished sewing the long sashing strips this morning. I was going to put the panel on the top and bottom, but now I’m second guessing myself, due to DH’s comment that “there is a lot going on” when he looked at the blocks.
Does anyone have any thoughts? Here’s another pic. I would put a strip of 5 to 6 inches of blue on the sides of the vehicle blocks, then a panel strip at the top and bottom of the quilt. It makes it a good size for a twin bed quilt and I like it, but I’d love your opinion.

Janet

Quilter’s Bog Hop Party Giveaway

2011-12-09T09:43:00.001-08:00

The giveaway is closed.

Welcome to everyone hopping around in blog land for the Quilting Gallery Quilter's Blog Hop Party and my giveaway. A huge thank you to Michele for organizing this event. I hear there are more than 250 participating blogs so it is sure to be a barrel of fun – and take lots of time to look at all those blogs.
If you are new to my blog please don’t be afraid of the Dall Sheep on my header. He is behind a fence at the game farm and I think that his “you look mighty tasty” approach is just his way of saying “hi”. Please look around and enjoy yourself while you are here.
I’m not going to dally around much as I think I am a bit late getting my blog posted. It was supposed to be up by noon EST and it is 9:32 where I live in PST. So doing the math….
Here is what I’m giving away today. Two half yards of pretty batiks in colours that make you want to eat them – or something.

You must be a follower of my blog to enter the giveaway and it is open to anyone in the world. Please leave me one comment letting me know you are a follower. In the same comment please tell me where you live and one reason why you like living there. The giveaway will close on December 17th at 6 p.m. my time. More math for you…..
Thank you so much for coming by. Please check out the Quilting Gallery link to see a list of all the participants in the Blog Hop Party.
Janet

Back home in the snow

2011-12-05T21:11:00.001-08:00

I’ve been away. In Redmond and Seattle…

Victoria….

and Vancouver…..

Visited brother, s-i-l, nephew, DD # 3 and boyfriend and roommate, niece, b-i-l. Ate American Thanksgiving dinner, but didn’t go to Black Friday sales at midnight. Visited quaint towns La Conner and Bainbridge, Washington. Flew in two planes and rode the ferry four times. Attended a Stuart McLean show in Victoria. Ate tons of good food and shopped at lots of stores. Bought a little bit of fabric. Drove a car in Victoria and it wasn’t even too scary.

I didn’t do much sewing. Just these hexie flowers for my November swap partner.

We got home late Friday night then I was up early on Saturday to go with friends to a quilt show. Yes a quilt show here in the north. In Skagway, Alaska. There were about fifty quilts in the show. Here are the ladies posing in front of the Christmas tree.

And a few of my favourite quilts…

Skagway is getting ready for Christmas. Lots of pretty lights.

I see somewhere along the way my followers have crept up to 100. I guess I’ll have to have a giveaway. I’m deciding whether to like up with The Quilting Gallery’s Blog Hop Party. Any opinions?

Are you occupying your sewing room this week?

Are you participating in Friday Night Sew In?

So many fun things going on in Blogland…..

Janet

Sew Cal Gal's Christmas Quilt Show

2011-11-28T17:52:00.000-08:00

Those who follow my blog have seen this recently. It is a table runner I made for a swap on Flickr for an as yet unnamed partner, because I don't think it has been received yet. I really like how it turned out and even DH commented on it, saying it had nice Christmasy colours.

It is made with some Figgy Pudding, some Kona Snow and an unnamed red. I did free motion quilting in white and love how the back turned out.

Please go to this post to see more lovely Christmas quilts in Sew Cal Gal's Christmas Quilt Show.

Janet

Some wonderful things in the mail and late FNSI report

2011-11-20T22:57:00.001-08:00

I am participating in scissor keeper swap organized by Cookies and Cream, but I am very delinquent and tardy in getting items made for my swap partner. I was totally awestruck and humbled when I received a wonderful package from Kerry in the mail.

A magazine, a lovely card, some embroidery thread, and look at the cutest scissor keep and pincushion…

Plus she sent a large package of vehicle fabric for my grandson’s quilt. Some I already had, but there are some really fabulous new ones.

He is going to LOVE those cats on motorcycles!

And then I got a totally unexpected package from Melody with a couple more fabrics, and a darling little scissor fob.

Helicopters and seaplanes! I don’t have any of those. With all the fabric goodness I’ve received from so many blog friends I’m going to have to add another row of vehicles to the quilt design!

Here’s a close-up of the scissor fob. So cute.

Thank-you both so much Kerry and Melody.

I didn’t get my FNSI post up on Saturday. Raucous grandkids were visiting and it was just busy all day long. I did accomplish a bit for the sew-in though.

This bag, which I made for DD # 1, whose birthday was last week. It is the same pattern as a bag I made for the Goodie Swap, but I made a couple of changes: a long over the shoulder strap instead of a short wrist strap, and I put a little pocket inside. Of course I made mistakes in both my design changes and had to undo my sewing twice to fix things…..

And a little ornament to include in the table runner swap which is going in the mail tomorrow. I had enough of sewing for the evening so moved on to beads.

The temperature is down below –30. Brr….. I must be off to bed.

Janet

Nosy Parker in the Neighbourhood

2011-11-18T15:19:00.001-08:00

I’m linking up with Kat's Nosy Parker in the Neighbourhood project. It is so interesting how different we are and yet how much the same….

Question 1) Tell us about your home:
Where do you live; (town, state, country that is - obviously not your street address!!) & what is it like e.g. do you live by the beach or a lake or in the desert etc..., is it famous for anything in particular (e.g. industry), and maybe what is the climate like etc...

I live in a small town in a very large territory. Once on a BOAC flight from England I had a conversation with the flight attendant and she was amazed when I told her that the Yukon is about the size of the British Isles, and there are approximately 36,000 people in the whole territory. In my town there are around 450 people.

My town is about an hour from Whitehorse, the only city in the territory, where there are approximately 27,000 people. The Yukon’s economy is currently booming with mineral resources being the main interest. My town doesn’t really have an economy, although there is some tourism in the summer. My hubby likes to lament that the whole Yukon economy is built on government dollars. I drive the hour each way to work in the big city and have done so for eighteen years.

It is about a three hour flight to the big southern cities of Vancouver, Calgary or Edmonton. The only other flights we have out of territory are to Frankfurt, Germany in the summer.

Approximately half the people who live in my town are aboriginal and the First Nation has a large presence in the town.

I live within walking distance of huge lakes, a sandy beach, a desert, immense forests and majestic mountains. I love to walk and I know the area near my home well, having tromped around in the bushes far and wide over the years.

Question 2) What are the houses like in your area. Apartment style, Joined, Semi-detached, Detached etc...

There is a huge variety of houses in my town:

all in a row homes built for First Nation people by the federal government,

off beat dwellings built by those who came to the north because they could be individuals here and build their houses to their liking,

new modern homes,

cabins from the gold rush era.

My house is a beautiful four bedroom home, built by my hubby. It is not modern or fancy, but functional and comfortable, with many individual design features that make it a pleasure to live in. What category do you think it should be in?

That little gable at the top houses my sewing room

Question 3) What are some of your favourite places to visit or favourite things to do in & about your town/city. - Show us plenty of photos here if you can.

I occasionally like to hang out on the beach on a warm summer day.

Or just walk on the beach in the long summer nights.

I like to walk, ski, snowshoe in the bush but always have to think about bears in summer.

And I love to go out on the lakes.

This is what it looks like today at -22C … the front part of the lake is frozen but the back is still open water and there is copious amounts of ice fog in the air.

That produces sun dogs. You can just barely see it in the picture below.

Question 4) How do most people travel around your town/city? E.g. subway, bus, bike, what are the most popular styles of car.

Almost everyone has a truck or a car. Big trucks, that can plow through the snow, cars with four wheel drive, or cars that save on gas. Those who don’t have a vehicle hitchhike. In summer some people ride quads; in winter snow machines. Many walk, a few ride bicycles. We have a train which used to be a functioning passenger and freight train, but is now just a tourist ride and runs only in summer. Kids travel to and from school on the school bus.

Question 5) Is there a type of food that would be quintessential to where you live? E.g. a famous local produce etc...

Moose meat, caribou meat, trout, grayling (a kind of fish), berries (cranberries, raspberries and blueberries), soapberry ice cream (a First Nation “treat”. These somewhat bitter berries are whipped and whipped with sugar until they sort of look like ice cream but taste like sugar with something bitter in it). Years ago I lived with an elderly first nation couple who ate things like stuffed fish guts (quite good), moose guts (not bad), singed porcupine (disgusting).

I hope you have enjoyed learning a little more about the place I live. Go check out Kat's blog to see how others live.

Janet

Winter is here

2011-11-14T22:17:00.001-08:00

DD # 2 called me last week to tell me that her “friend” in Newfoundland was wondering why I hadn’t posted on my blog. She said that he talks about the scenery pictures but she thinks he likes the quilting pictures too. Here is a photo of the full(ish) moon in the morning for you Jamie.

We have had really mild weather this fall and along with that, little snow. That changed over the last three or four days as it has been snowing steadily. We now have our winter’s snow. The weather is still fairly mild though, –15 is the coldest it has been.
I have been working on my table runner for the Flickr Modern Christmas Table Runner swap. Here it is, finished and ready to mail to a secret recipient.

I hung it on the door to photograph but I’m showing the picture sideways. Here’s the back.

And to link up with Angie's applique parade, a block that is almost finished…. as are so many of my sewing projects…

Edited to add - The block above was the class project for a class called Baltimore Basics from Quilt University. Nancy Chong was the instructor and presumably is the designer of the block. Just to give due credit.... It was a great class, by the way, from an on-line quilt instruction site.

Janet

Goodie Swap

2011-11-08T22:49:00.001-08:00

I have been meaning to show pictures of what I sent and received in the Goodie Swap for more than a week. The days just seem to fly by and even “falling back” on Saturday night didn’t help me to have more time. Maybe that’s because it was the weekend and we had to get out and enjoy the mild winter we’re having so far. Here’s DH and friends enjoying the classic Canadian winter pastime…

I am a terrible skater, but I love the freedom of skating on the lake. It often only lasts for a day or two before the snow gets too deep, but this year we’re hanging on and are up to a week of lake skating.

On to the Goodie Swap. I received two lovely packages. The first from Katy in Scotland. A colourful mug rug, a sweet Sherbet Pips bag and a couple of Scottish trinkets. Look at those tiny bottles of Scotch! And the cute Scottie dogs. The original macaroon bar is tasty and VERY sweet.

Look at the cute matching zipper pull….

My other package came from Linda in Ireland. Look at all the goodies she sent me !

Another interesting and colourful mug rug, a very pretty bag which is meant for sewing supplies but looks like it would also work well for art supplies, a classic needle case, lovely little purse and a fat quarter. Also a calendar with pictures from Ireland and two postcards.

Here is the back of the mug rug…great fabrics!

Here is what I sent….First to Kat in Scotland….. I had to steal the mug rug pictures from her blog as I forgot to take photos before I mailed them….

And this mug rug and bag went to Helen in England….

There were a few little goodies in the parcels as well, but I can’t remember to take pictures of everything.

Lovely swap. I’m not great at exuberance but…. Big thanks to Cindy for organizing it! And super thanks to Linda and Katy for my fabulous gifts!

Janet

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T20:59:00.001-07:00

It is cold and there is a strong wind in the trees; lots of creaks and cracks make it a spooky night. The dog has been barking. I think there is a coyote in the yard, but maybe it is something more eerie…..

We attended the annual pumpkin carving contest the other night. Here are all the ghouls…

DH and I tied for second place. Mine is the punk rocker, his is the wolf.

I made delicious bloody fingers….inspired by the recipe at Pots and Pins…

Tonight we had four trick or treaters come to our door! We haven’t had any for the last four or five years. They were greeted by my punk rocker…Can you see his nose ring?

I also received my mug rug from Leona's third Flickr swap today. This one was a holiday swap and I asked for Halloween. I received this Halloween goodie just in time!

Hope you’ve had a fun Halloween at your house.

Janet

An embarrassment of riches

2011-10-30T18:54:00.001-07:00

Canada’s mail service sucks. I often think we are a first world country with a third world mail service. Well maybe it isn’t that bad, but it definitely is not very fast. I’ve been waiting and waiting for some parcels – well the last two Fridays many of them have come. I think I’ll post my Goodie Swap beauties separately but here are the other riches that I’ve received.

From Karen some more vehicle pieces for my grandson’s quilt.

Patty sent me these lovely home dyed fat quarters. I think they were a thank you because I sent her novelty fabrics for the I Spy quilts she was making – but then there may have been a contest involved too. I can’t quite remember.

I was so fortunate to get in on some scraps that Flaming Nora was getting rid of. Nora (I suspect that isn’t her real name) works in the theatre or something akin to that and has lots of bits of exotic materials overwhelming her. I love the little bag I got and am dreaming up things to do with it.

I have received three of my October swap blocks and the month isn’t even over!

From Fiona, my Christmas block – such a beauty…

From Kathy, two Adventure blocks, because the darker one was a bit small. Both of them are gorgeous!

From Anette in Denmark, two lovely hexies….

And last, but not least, I won this great book from Kathy Mack at Pink Chalk Fabrics. It just arrived on Friday and I haven’t had a chance to peruse it yet, but doesn’t the cover look interesting!

Should I be embarrassed???

Janet

Whoops….

2011-10-17T20:01:00.001-07:00

Peg so kindly pointed out to me that Friday Night Sew In is on October 21st, not October 14th. Thanks Peg! I guess I’ll get to have two Friday Night Sew Ins this month!

I am so happy to have the election finally (almost) over. Maybe life can get back to normal …. But what is normal ??!!

Well the swans are heading south – that’s normal.

I joined in a postcard swap a little while back that was organized by Sheila and she was my swap partner. Here is the postcard I sent her – don’t ask me why I thought I should send maple leaves from the Yukon, where they are non-existent, to Eastern Canada, where they abound!

And here is the lovely one she sent to me. I love the gorgeous colours and the shading that give the illusion of shadows at sunrise or sunset.

See you on Friday for Friday Night Sew In

Janet

Friday Night Sew In Report

2011-10-15T15:33:00.001-07:00

I so wanted to work on one of my quilts last night, but I have to get caught up on my swap items before they all come due. So I made blocks for the Christmas Block Swap, the Adventure Block Swap and the 15 minute Scrap Bee Block.

The Christmas block is for Fiona. I copied this pattern from a quilt someone was making at the retreat I was at a couple of weeks ago. I love it! Silly me, I didn’t write down who the designer of the pattern is .

The Adventure block is for Kathy. She asked for something made from local fabric and with either orange or yellow in some part of it. I’m sure that somewhere in this big country of Canada there is someone who is making fabric, but I’ve never seen any of it. Does cotton even grow here???? I made a block that represents the north and I used some fabric that I dyed. It’s sort of Canadian made….

For the 15 Minute Scrap Bee it is Chris’s month. (If Chris has a blog I’m not aware what it is.) She asked for nine patch blocks with made fabric in one colour way. I chose green for the made fabric. And I’ve got a little bit of leftover fabric to send to Chris as well.

I had already completed my hexie flowers for October for Debra. She wanted modern – I think these qualify….

Now I just have three swap items to finish before the end of the month: a Christmas mug rug, a small item – probably a pincushion – to go in the Scrappy swap, and a scissors keeper. I’m still looking for inspiration for that one – Oh help!

The other day on my way to town I saw a bear and I tried to take a photo but it was a dismal flop. My photo was of a blurry black shape. My friend Heather Jones, professional photographer extraordinaire, saw the same bear and look at the fabulous shot she got!

Yup we have had snow. Although it has mostly melted it won’t be long until it stays for the winter….

Janet

And a happy Thanksgiving to all

2011-10-10T20:55:00.001-07:00

Despite the business of these days we had to have a celebration today – for Thanksgiving and for DH’s birthday tomorrow. The dinner menu was lake trout – caught last night, potatoes from the garden, yellow beans, asparagus and Brussels sprouts from the grocery store, homemade sauerkraut – a gift from our neighbour to whom DH took potatoes this morning, pickled beets – made by DD # 1, and a delicious chocolate cake with sliced strawberries for dessert. All exceedingly yummy. Here is DH with his one candle, the only one I could find in the house, and Dave, our guest from outside.

The GK were raucous as ever …

DGS with the same kind of underclothes as someone wearing a kilt might sport….

And DGD with her gaudy Halloween-ready makeup…

We managed to get our potatoes and carrots dug the other day. We are almost ready for the winter that threatens us daily….

I need to show off some giveaway gifts I’ve received lately. Firstly, from the lovely Sue at Quilt Times – I was so excited to win a copy of her book. When I was at the retreat last weekend almost everyone in the room came over and took a look at the book (and asked if it was part of the present exchange – NO WAY). It is fabulous!

I won this wonderful pattern from Michele. The pattern was created by her friend Julie. I can’t wait to try this one….

And I won this cute fat quarter from Barbara in her Fun Fact Friday Freebie.

During Bag Lady Week at Kristie's blog, I won this wonderful pattern from Amy.

I made this bag for one of my partners in the Goodie Swap. It makes a sweet little bag.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends. It is election day in the Yukon tomorrow and I’ll be working for about eighteen hours. Exciting but tiring.

Janet

Triple Cs

2011-10-04T22:13:00.001-07:00

Dawn from Sweet as Cinnamon has asked us to tell all about the meaning of our blog name and I thought it would be fun to join in. My full blog name is Caribou Crossing Chronicles of Quilts, the Weather and other Fun Stuff.

I knew I wanted to blog about quilting and sewing but also about other things in my life, including the beautiful place where I live. I knew that my blog name would be somewhat formal; I didn’t want a “cute” name, cause I’m not a cute type of person.

The town where I live used to be called Caribou Crossing, because the caribou crossed at the short river that runs through town and connects two very large lakes. Some of us are nostalgic for that old name.

So you see it is very simple …. the triple Cs it had to be.

Janet

More travel and a little bit of sewing

2011-10-03T23:13:00.000-07:00

Last week I made my last work trip – at least for the next while. I flew two hours north to the remote, fly-in community of Old Crow. I worked in this community for six years, flying in at least once a month over that time and it holds a place of tenderness in my heart. I don’t think I could even begin to describe why, but I love the people and the land and the way of life. I was only there for a few hours this time but it was nice to be back after more than a year.

Old Crow is a small town situated above the 67th parallel (as compared to my home at just above the 60th parallel). It is very dark and cold in winter and has 24 hour light in summer. The people have lived off the Barren Land caribou for millennium.

Typical views of the town look like this… the RCMP barracks is the red building on the right and the Anglican church is visible. That is a sofa out on the bank. One wants a comfortable place to sit when watching the river flow by!

There are many snowmobiles, q-wads and boats in town. Although there are more and more trucks and cars all the time, there is only a short piece of road to drive them on. Big vehicles like this are flown in on a Hercules.

I was surprised to see these new, modern looking buildings. One is a tourist information building, the other I’m told is a storage building for artefacts which will soon be returned to the community. Interesting - the bank of solar collectors in a place where there is very little sun for about 8 months of the year.

The view from the air is spectacular…

Despite how busy I’ve been I managed to make it to one day of the fall quilt retreat this past weekend. I made 40 of these blocks for DD # 3’s quilt. I don’t know what possessed me to make them 6 inch blocks. I need 195 blocks total! Only 25 left to sew….

I also made my 6 inch blocks for this month for Bobbie. She asked for any block in green and beige. Here’s a sneak peek.

Best of all was the lovely view. You may remember these mountains from a few posts back, but they have more snow on them now.

I have a couple of giveaway wins that I need to post about so will be back soon with that news.

Janet

I am still alive but just barely coping…

2011-09-26T23:17:00.001-07:00

I have been soooo busy. Besides doing a lot of travelling for my job – my new job that I am still trying to sort out – I am also working for our territorial election – four hours or more a day after my regular work. DH is working away so I am doing all the chores, although I don’t have to cook dinner so maybe that’s a good trade off. And I signed up for all these swaps! What was I thinking? Oh well the swaps are important for my happiness .

What to show today?? Winter in the air…. My yard yesterday morning…

Yup that is snow. All gone today but more will be back soon. Look at the mountains today…

This fellow is ready for winter… if a bit blurry….

Last week I travelled to Haines Junction and Teslin – see, not so much snow last week….

I made this bag for the Goody swap…

And I received some more fabric for my grandson’s quilt. Thanks so much to Sue, Linda and Julie.

He had his 4th birthday party yesterday….

At his request they ate “make your own sub sandwiches”. And they played Fishing Pond over the back fence. It is so cute what a kick kids get out of catching a Fruit Roll-up on a fishing rod.

That’s it for tonight. I'll be back to show my September swap items sent and received later.

Janet

Friday Night Sew In Report

2011-09-17T17:50:00.001-07:00

I only got a couple of hours to play last night but …. I did get something accomplished. Hexies for my September swap partner who wanted pastels….I find pastels so difficult.

And then I worked on the hexie panel for this little bag which I made for one of my swap partners in the Goodie swap. I finished the rest of the bag today. When I saw the pattern for this bag on the Bag Lady week I knew I had to make it. The tutorial is from Kaelin at the Plaid Scottie.

I hope everyone had a great FNSI.

Janet

Another week, more travel, some mail and the wedding quilt

2011-09-04T00:18:00.001-07:00

This week I went to Ross River, about an hour flight northeast, or a six hour drive on a good day. Fortunately I got to fly, with the “court party” – judge, court clerk, court recorder and two sheriffs. Here’s our plane…

The morning view was a bit hazy but so stupendous. There are mountains as far as the eye can see….

And then suddenly there is a wide flat valley….

This is called the Tintina Trench. DH (who wants to be a geologist when he grows up) tells me that back in the Jurassic Age this valley marks where the two land masses that became North America came together. Because this was where the edges were, the rock was weaker and it wore away more than the mountainous area beyond the valley. Of course it has all been covered by ice a couple of times since then. My brain can’t really wrap around this concept, but it sure is beautiful.

Ross River is a very sad and troubled town with lots of drinking, violence and little positive to say about it. The court party takes two sheriffs to Ross River, where they usually take only one to other communities, because of some negative things that have happened there. It wasn’t the best work day I’ve ever had. But I did see a “Rhino”!

I mentioned in this post that my grandson knows what a Rhino is but I’ve never seen one. The young man who was driving this machine told me it isn’t a Rhino, as that is a trade name for a machine made by a specific company, but it is the same idea – a “side-by-side”. He said this model is more of a “sport utility vehicle” version, whereas the Rhino is more of a work machine. I told him that this one looks like a golf cart….

The flight home was gorgeous too, if a little more bumpy…

I received a few pieces of lovely mail in the last couple of weeks. My adventure block for August from Laurrie (no blog).

And 6 1/2 inch blocks from the last two months. First from Sharon. Her area was hard hit by Irene, but her home is intact. She sent these lovely blocks off to me before Irene arrived so they got here safe and sound in just a few days.

And then from Linda. These blocks took a month to get here from California. She posted them August 1st and they arrived on the 31st. I see the envelope has a Canada Post stamp on it from August 25th, so I suppose there was some misdirection going on. I was thrilled to finally receive these beautiful blocks.

The wedding is tomorrow. Wish me luck. Dressing up and being in the front of a crowd is really not my comfort zone. Here are a couple of snaps of the finished quilt.

Facts

Three charm packs of Beach House by Blackbird Designs for Moda. Yardage of Rustic Retreat by Debbie Mumm, National Park Series # 2299 by Ro Gregg for Northcott and an unknown grey mottled fabric. Batting is green in colour and made from recycled pop bottles. It feels very soft and was lovely and easy to sew through. Finished size is 62 1/2 by 51/2. Pattern – True Lover’s Knot from “Quilts from the Quiltmaker’s Gift”. Quilting is straight line, with writing and machine embroidery in the blue border and free motion entwined hearts in the corner squares.

Janet

It’s a busy life

2011-08-30T23:22:00.001-07:00

I never did get around to posting last weekend…. Close friends are getting married this coming Sunday and I am “standing up” for her. Plus coordinating food for the reception and providing beds for his mother and aunt who are here from Ontario. Add to this travelling for work, an upcoming territorial election that is going to be called any day, and for which I am a returning officer….Life feels very busy.

Before I leave tomorrow for my next trip for work, I need to show a couple of pictures from last weeks trip. I went to Pelly Crossing and Carmacks, respectively four and a half and three hours north from here. Both these communities are small and there aren’t a lot of picturesque sights, however they are both along the Yukon River and much of life centres on the river. So I have river photos to show and a couple of others…

Riverboats along the river in Pelly Crossing….

The community garden in Pelly. Even though they are that much further north, I notice that their plants have lots of leaves and not much fruit, kind of like the plants in my greenhouse….

Sandbars in the river in Carmacks….

And the regrowth progress of the 1998 Fox Lake forest fire….

I didn’t see any animals along the road, except for a mama bear with two cubs close to home, and this beauty…

Deer are a recent immigrant population to the north. There is very limited hunting of them allowed and they are not very shy.

I forgot to show photos of the postcard swap that Fiona and I did a while back to celebrate our respective one year blog anniversaries. Here is the gorgeous post card she sent me…. her representation of the Great Barrier Reef and the Southern Cross.

And here is the one I sent her….I’m a bit obsessed with bears in the summer….

One other bit of sewing to show today. I mentioned a while back that DD # 2 was hounding me to make a blind for her room. I bought the fabric for this blind in 1997 so I guess it was high time to put it together. And since we had company coming to stay for a week I put a lot of effort into getting it finished before tonight. Here is the finished product….open….

And closed….

Definitely old fashioned fabric….or maybe it is just meant for a child, which my daughter was when I bought it This was probably the most challenging sewing project I’ve ever done….and I’ve made lined jackets and pants and fancy dresses. It was the trip to the hardware store for bits and pieces and the power tools needed to hang it that put it over the edge. I’m hoping that as it hangs it will lose the wrinkles that I didn’t iron out….

Janet

A Q-Wad

2011-08-22T20:13:00.001-07:00

A few posts back I sent out a request for some blocks of vehicles – any kind of vehicles – for a quilt I want to make for my grandson. A couple of people promised me blocks – thank you so much.

Julie, who had already sent me a few blocks, sent me a note saying she doesn’t even know what some of the things my grandson loves are. So I need to show her.

First a bit of a story. When my kids were small we were poor – really poor. That was partly by choice; we wanted to live in this remote northern town and we wanted at least one parent to be at home with our kids. I didn’t work very much and DH worked when there was work available, but sometimes in the winter there wasn’t that much work. We lived mostly in a tent for ten years, with two young children. We moved into our home, which DH built, a year before DD # 3 was born.

As things progressed our financial situation improved. I eventually went back to school and got my social work degree and a job with the government. The north changed, the economy changed, work was more available. Nowadays we have all the money we need. But when the kids were small they wore hand-me-downs, I sewed with fabric bought at Woolworth’s for $1 a yard or salvaged at the church rummage sale and the kids didn’t have many toys.

Now my DD and her partner are also not rich, but the world has changed. There are so many things available everywhere. Here in the Yukon there are great recycling centers and they all have free stores, where people leave items and other people come and take them. My DD and her circle of friends trade items around all the time. They all have great clothes and DGD and DGS have a gazillion toys.

DD’s next door neighbour is a hunting outfitter. He has all the BIG toys: speedboats, four-wheelers, big trucks, horses etc. They have a boy, midway in age between DGD and DGS. He is a real character and takes after his dad. He also has lots of toys.

On the weekend we went to DGD’s 7th birthday. Here is the little fairy blowing out her candles.

And all kinds of loving guests…

And – Surprise! DGS has a q-wad (as he says it). The next door neighbour’s son got a bigger one and gave this one to DGS. It does actually run – it’s electric – but DD and DSiL took the battery out so he can just sit on it or people can push him around on it. He is, after all, only three years old!

So Julie, this is a quad. A rhino is apparently an improved model, with side-by-side seating for two people.

By the way DH and I are not into these motorized toys at all and neither are the DDs. But DGS is certainly enamoured.

Janet

Friday Night Sew In Report and some thank-yous

2011-08-20T09:51:00.001-07:00

I love Friday Night Sew In (hosted by Heidi and Bobbi). It happens just often enough to make me feel like I actually make some progress on my projects and not so often that I end up having to miss it all the time. I don’t work on Fridays, so it usually works well for me to sew at some point during the day. This is what I worked on last night.

Firstly, I put together this backing

for this quilt,

which my friend Linda P. and I are making for friends who are getting married. These are SO not my colours but I really like the quilt. This is the Bow Tie pattern but when made in this style it is called True Lover’s Knot.

I received two little packages with big gifts in them this week. I received my “welcome” hexie from Jane for the Inchy Hexagon Swap. I’ve been in this swap since the beginning but it’s nice to get a welcome no matter when it comes. She also sent me another package of hexie papers from Joanne who sells them at her store. She contributed a sample pack for everyone in the swap. So generous.

And then I also won a package of hexie papers from Joanne – she is having some giveaways to celebrate her new blog.

So I am set for a while for hexie papers, although I use them up quickly Thank you to Joanne and Jane for the lovely gifts!

At the end of the evening I started working on thank-you hexies…

When I make the hexies I put a lot of preparation work into them. First is picking the fabric, then cutting the pieces from the fabric. Then cutting out the papers (when I don’t have some precut on hand). Then I iron the fabric around the fabric. I know most people don’t do this step but I find it just makes it easier to baste them and have the edges turn out sharp. I do back basting, just catching the corners with a couple of stitches. Some people baste right through the fabric and papers but then the stitching needs to be removed later. With back basting that isn’t necessary. Then after a last iron the hexies are ready to sew together into flowers.

I am off today to meet with Linda P. and get that quilt ready for quilting. The wedding is in two weeks. Eek!

Janet

Lovely mail received and a request

2011-08-14T18:34:00.001-07:00

I said last week that I was going to show my received mail and I’m finally getting around to it. Life seems incredibly busy these days. I mentioned that I started a new job and had to travel in the last two weeks. The first week I went to Watson Lake, a five hour drive south on the Alaska Highway. Here is a picture of the signpost forest that surrounds the tourist information centre there. People from all over add their signs, handmade or official. It would take hours to go through and read them all.

Then last week I went to Dawson City, a one hour flight north. I was happy not to have to drive there as it takes about six hours. The days are much longer there than at my latitude and they get more sun. Look at these beautiful flowers….

Now compare those sunflowers to my sunflowers which are just barely starting to open.

Anyway here are some beautiful things I`ve received recently in the mail. First my Adventure block for June from Lynn. Isn`t it lovely!

It is a raised pinwheel by the way, even though you can`t quite tell in this photo. She also sent me a pretty sand dollar from her beach in Florida and a postcard of the sun and sand to make me drool.

Then I received my July Adventure block from Karyli and I thought `how can I be so lucky to receive two such beautiful blocks two days in a row`.

Sadly I haven`t received my hexies or my Christmas blocks for June or July yet. I hope they come sometime…..

But hey look at these other goodies I received from my friend Julie. Thank you Julie! She is so sweet and offered to give away some of her Tenugui (see her post for more information) which I think are Japanese tea towels. Look at the variety she sent to me.

My favourite is the black one with the birds. I thought they were geese initially, but now I`m thinking cranes. The black one with the squiggles on it she said may be poetry. I love the trees and hills and the oriental zodiac. They are all lovely, made of a light cotton fabric.

Julie also sent me squares with planes, boats and trains for the quilt that I am going to make for my grandson…hopefully in time to give it to him for Christmas. I have my layout all sorted out but I do need a few more fabrics and this is where my request comes in. Here are the great blocks that Julie sent me – race cars, trains, bi-planes, jets, sedans, fire trucks , boats and a couple of whimsical blocks.

I have these blocks – school buses, police cars and ambulances, kayaks, white water rafts, motorcycles and skidoos.

My grandson is seriously into vehicles! I need seven or eight more blocks to do the design I want. I would really like to have some heavy equipment – diggers, big trucks, cranes and the like. Also other cars, dirt bikes or bicycles would be wonderful. And if anyone has fabric with a quad or a rhino…..I`m not even sure what a rhino is except it is the new improved version of a quad. My three year old grandson knows all about them

I need 6 1/2 inch blocks. If you have any blocks to contribute please let me know and I`ll send you my address.

Janet

What I’ve been Sewing

2011-08-06T21:00:00.001-07:00

I have truly been doing some sewing, although it doesn’t feel like I’ve done much. I started a new job last Monday and had to travel Tuesday through Thursday. I’ll be on the road – actually in the air – again this week Monday through Wednesday. I did take some hand sewing with me but didn’t get a lot prepped to take so didn’t accomplish a lot. Here are my July swap items though – all made and sent on time. Phew!

First my two blocks for Sue, the leader of the six inch block swap that I joined just last month. Sue doesn’t appear to have a personal blog, but runs four blogs for the swaps that she organizes.

For the Christmas Block Swap my July partner was Cheryl. She asked for a log cabin in Christmasy colours and this is what I made her. It turned out quite busy but hopefully she loves it anyway. I really like it.

For the Adventure Block Swap I made this block for Karyli. She let me know she has received it and loves it.

And here are the hexie flowers I created for Simona in Croatia. She asked for bright colours. I think I achieved that! I called this the butterfly series.

Lastly here is the Christmas Mug Rug that I created for Narelle. She appears to live even more remotely than I do. I love that in Australia they call it “in the bush” just like we do here. Not the forest or the back woods, or the country. The bush.

This is the third mug rug I’ve made for a swap where I’ve used hexies. Do you think I’m a bit obsessed?

And the back….

I’ll be back tomorrow with some photos of my recent mail receipts. There are some lovely ones!

Janet

Lovely mail again!

2011-07-24T14:35:00.001-07:00

The parcel mail seems to finally be starting to flow again in my direction. Things I have sent out seem to be arriving at their destinations quite promptly, but I am still waiting for a couple of things that have been coming to me since June. Let me show you what I did get this last week ….

Firstly, these six inch squares. I joined the 6 inch block swap last month and so far I love it. The smaller blocks are easy to make with material from my mountain of scraps and they turn out quite cute. We swap two blocks a month in this group. Here are the blocks I received from Sue. Can you tell I’m going for hot colours in this one

Next up, this lovely mug rug that I received from Wendi for Leona's 2nd mug rug swap.

Wendi is from Florida so she sent me a bit of Florida beach time. Doesn’t the beige fabric look like real sand?! She also sent a really cute needle case and a couple of skeins of embroidery thread – something that I sorely need.

And finally my pincushion top from the Round Robin has made it home. Marina had sent it a long time ago and was getting anxious about it’s whereabouts….but it was just Canada Post being slow.

I asked for a garden theme and look what I got: flowers - a whole wheelbarrow full of flowers - bunnies, butterflies and bluebirds. Let me put the photo the other way up so you can see that nest of bluebirds clearly.

So sweet! I love how it turned out. Next step is to make it into a pincushion top…. Thank-you so much Sue, Jacqueline and Marina.

I finished the first of the stitchery samplers last night.

The next one is backstitch. Happy stitching to me!

Janet

Friday Night Sew In

2011-07-23T00:37:00.001-07:00

I feel like I haven’t had any time to sew lately, so I was happy to hear it was Friday night sew in tonight. And DH is gone away overnight, so I didn’t have any distractions. I started sewing about four this afternoon; while watering my garden I did some hand stitching. I am trying to follow Helen's Stitched Sunday embroidery lessons. I was thinking while participating in the pin cushion round robin lately that I need to brush up on/ learn more embroidery stitches. So this came at an opportune time. I’m only on lesson 1 though and she’ll be posting lesson 4 this Sunday. Oh well I am a Slow Poke quilter, and sewer. I’m not posting a picture of lesson 1yet as it isn’t quite finished.

I had to put the embroidery down and go to work on some blocks for my colours quilt. I would so love to get it finished, and I am nearing the end. I made three dark yellow blocks tonight.

Thirteen blocks left to make, unless I decide to make it one more row long.

I got some great mail today, but I’m not going to show it now because it’s time for me to sleep. Here are a few animal and scenery pics instead.

A bear, just leaving my yard….

A Richardson’s Ground Squirrel, more commonly referred to as a gopher… There are thousands of these cute little animals around here. They are cute as long as they stay out of my garden

This grass is called Horsetail grass. It is silky smooth in one direction but hard and prickly the other way. Dogs often try to eat it and end up in dire trouble… It is beautiful though….

A clown performing at the music festival I went to a couple of weekends ago….

Happy weekend!

Janet

Interesting photos and giveaway winners

2011-07-08T15:27:00.001-07:00

I am having a very hectic day. DD # 2 and grandson are here for the day. I have him signed up for swimming lessons so we went to that this morning. DD wants some attention given to her hexie quilt; she needs more yellow and blue hexies, wants to borrow my small iron and ironing mat and wants to copy my hexie template. I am watering all my gardens which takes several hours of moving hoses around. I do books for our recreation board and there was some mail and cheque writing that had to be taken care of today. Generally things have just been busy.

Here are some photos I’ve been meaning to post. I’ve seen quite a few moose on the road this year but here’s the first successful picture I’ve taken. That brownish spot behind the bush in front of her is two calves.

If you look closely you can see one of them as they were running off into the bush here

I don’t have many outdoor flowers this summer. I want to rebuild my flower beds so I’ve left them empty. I do have some beautiful flowers on indoor plants though. First my orchid…

my African violet…

And a cactus…. I don’t know what kind it is…

I didn’t use random number generator for the draw. No time to figure it out. Here is the bowl with all the little slips of paper.

And a small boy who was eager to pull the slips…

You would think he could read – he was so intent on unfolding and looking at the papers.

The winners are:

Momtodc who said: The highlight of my day so far was playing Angry Birds on my phone with my son. We took turns and ended up spending over an hour passing the phone back and forth.

And Gene Black who said: The best part of my day so far was relaxing while holding my new Great Niece, Emily and watching part of a marathon of "The Voice" - it was a family day.

Congratulations! I’ll e-mail you soon. Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Janet

Showing off my June swap creations

2011-07-08T00:14:00.001-07:00

Most of my June swaps went out late, due to the postal strike and my general state of malaise. I’m all caught up now though, just in time to start working on the July swaps Here’s pics of what I’ve sent out for last month. I haven’t received any of my June swap items yet, but I suspect there will be some arriving soon.

By the way, they have changed the postal delivery in town. Now the mail is dropped off and picked up at 8:15 in the morning, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. This should speed the mail up somewhat as one will be able to post items between 8 a.m. and 8:15 a.m. and have them go out that day. And the mail will be sorted into the boxes by about noon.

On to the pics…

Hexagons for Hanne. She asked for bright colours with yellow centres.

Just a sneak peek of Linda's block for the Christmas Block Swap. I sent this out the earliest but I don’t know whether she has received it yet.

And a sneak peek for Lynn of her Adventure Swap block. Lynn wanted autumn colours.

Marina's round robin wool pincushion top is finally on its way home to her. Isn’t it beautiful?! That is mostly thanks to Sue and Jacqueline who had it before me…

Here is the mug rug I made for my secret partner in Leona's second mug rug swap. She asked for modern fabrics, so I got to use some of my recent modern fabric stash building purchases. Completely sewn by hand. Front….

And back.

I’ve decided that I LOVE that Silent Cinema fabric – this backing and the two other greys from the front.

I sent a block for Kaaren's quilt, which is being organized by Allie (in case anyone wants to send a block who hasn’t yet, check Allie’s blog).

And lastly I promised Marina I would show her this UFO. Check out this quilt that she has made using really similar fabric!

I’m going to finish this quilt some day….

I have some pictures of interesting items to show – I’ll be back tomorrow with some of those and results for the giveaway.

Janet

It’s Canada Day! I promised a giveaway….

2011-07-01T20:44:00.001-07:00

Well here it is Canada Day. I’ve been blogging for one year. I did promise a giveaway and it will be today. First you have to see some pics from our fun Canada Day parade…

Above is DD # 1 and pseudo daughter #1 with her nephew. A bunch of the girls who grew up in town and used to love Canada Day here came out with their kids to join in the fun. After the parade, food, singing Oh Canada and eating cake, there were games for the little kids and then we got into the serious competition: spike pounding and swede sawing logs.

Here are the grandchildren – they wouldn’t participate in the kiddie games but they did in the “bush” ones.

Hammering that spike….okay they gave him a really little spike ….

Big sister getting some pointers prior to trying the log sawing herself…

DD # 3 and her boyfriend joined the fun as well…. with a real log and real swede saw…

Happy Canada Day to Canadian friends and Happy 4th of July to those south of the border!

I decided to give away two sets of two fat quarters each. These fabrics were purchased in the US so these are American fat quarters. First I have a set of two themed fabrics, for those who like a little summertime fun. Campers and deer….

And I decided to part with two fat quarters of my Sherbet Pips…after I ordered some more from the Intrepid Thread…

So, two sets of two fat quarters each for two winners. From anywhere in the world. The draw will close next Thursday, the 7th at 9 p.m. my time. I’m almost at the end of the international date line. The postal strike is over – I will be able to mail.

Two chances to win:

1. Leave me a comment telling me about the most interesting aspect of your day today. Don’t say it was all boring – everyone has interesting experiences to tell about. You can mention which set of fat quarters you like best too.

2. If you are a follower you get a second chance.

Here’s the most interesting thing from my day. I participated in the serious games. I’m not much use with a hammer but I do have a history of living in the bush and sawing wood to keep warm. I’m proud to say I was able to saw the log (the big one) in 36 seconds and in good form. I didn’t win. A woman from town sawed the log in 20 seconds and my two daughters did it in 22 seconds and 28 seconds. But still, 36 seconds is not bad for an aging grandma.

Janet

On Giveaways

2011-06-24T17:19:00.001-07:00

In another week my blog will be a year old and my blogging career will be about that old as well. And it seems that it is customary to have a giveaway to celebrate blogging anniversaries.

I don’t have lots of impressive statistics to show. I have 54 wonderful followers - please know I appreciate every one of you and everyone who drops by to read my blog or says hi. I’ve written less than 100 posts.

I have entered many giveaways since I started blogging, and I have to say I have won my share of them. It is great fun winning a nice prize and receiving it in the mail. I have said to myself again and again that I have to have a giveaway. And now that my blog anniversary is coming up it seems like an appropriate time. Except there are two problems….

First of all Canada Post is on strike. No mail in or out. It is a bummer. I have fabric and swap parcels waiting to get to me and lots of swap items waiting to go out. But the strike will be over one day, so I’ll just have to mail when that time comes.

The other problem is my inability to pick something to give away. I’m really good at doing lots of things, but I’ve never been good at buying presents or throwing parties. For some reason, these tasks bring out every insecurity I’ve ever had in life. So I have waffled around about what I could possibly give away that others would like. It doesn’t help that I am cheap and fabric is so expensive here – otherwise I could just go buy the latest that my LQS has in, which still wouldn’t be one of the coveted modern lines, but would be nice. But I can’t bring myself to pay $4.50 for a fat quarter to sew with, or to give away. And what about all that fabric I buy on line? Well I honestly don’t buy that much and what I do I covet. I get more fabric through collecting scraps than anything else. I don’t think many other people would love the little scraps that I cherish.

But I will figure out something to give away and I will have a giveaway next week. Probably July 1st, because it’s Canada Day and I can celebrate Canada.

In the meantime here are the most recent giveaway items I’ve won. I should have posted most of these a couple of months ago.

This book from Kay Mackenzie. The next swap partner I have whose choice is “any block” is going to get one of these.

A copy of Rebecca Johnson's pattern from Lesly at Pickle Dish. This is so fabulous. It is definitely on my list to make some day. In Christmas fabrics I think.

This book is from Liz. She is such a sweetheart – the postage from Australia was so dear that she bought a new copy from Amazon and had it shipped directly to me. Such fabulous work to drool over.

This fat quarter bundle from Pam. This is a great addition to my stash which has virtually no pastels. Aren’t these pretty colours?

And this book which I won during Pat Sloan's blog tour of the book. Now if I could ever get my hands on any of these novelty fabrics….

These are all such lovely things to win. I’ve read the books, perused the pattern, fondled the fabric. I’m such a slow sewer that I haven’t started any new projects from any of them yet. A great big thank you to those who sent these gifts my way!

Janet

A weekend of bluegrass

2011-06-12T22:39:00.001-07:00

I’ve been at the Kluane Bluegrass Festival all weekend. Two and a half days of some of the best bluegrass music in the world. For those who don’t know what bluegrass music is – here is part of what Wikipedia has to say about it.

Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and is a sub-genre of country music. Bluegrass was inspired by the music of immigrants from the United Kingdom and Ireland (particularly the Scotch-Irish immigrants in Appalachia), and was influenced by the music of African-Americans through incorporation of elements of jazz.

In bluegrass, as in some forms of jazz, one or more instruments each takes its turn playing the melody and improvising around it, while the others perform accompaniment; this is especially typified in tunes called breakdowns. Breakdowns are often characterized by rapid tempos, and unusual instrumental dexterity and sometimes complex chord changes.

Bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe characterized the genre as: "Scottish bagpipes and ole-time fiddlin'. It's Methodist and Holiness and Baptist. It's blues and jazz, and it has a high lonesome sound." Bluegrass is traditionally played on acoustic stringed instruments. The fiddle, five-string banjo, guitar, mandolin, and upright bass (string bass) are often joined by the resonator guitar (also referred to as a Dobro^®) and harmonica. A distinguishing characteristic of bluegrass is vocal harmony featuring two, three, or four parts.

For those who do know bluegrass, we got to listen to Dale Ann Bradley, Claire Lynch, Michael Cleveland, Grasstowne, the Gibson Brothers, Jim Hurst and Balsam Range. There were a couple of Canadian bluegrass bands there as well – Headwater and Four Chords of Wood – and a Canadian blues duet, Rick Fines and Suzie Vinnick. Plus our local talent, who are also very talented, Kevin Barr, George McConkey and their friends. There were two venues, one that holds 425 people and the other 150 people, so this was up close and personal fun. The people from far away love coming here because it is so beautiful and because we treat them really well. Plus they are always amazed at all the light this time of year.

I took some hand sewing with me but didn’t do a stitch. I did get a photo of the gorgeous theme quilt.

And here are the local musicians having a ball in the smaller venue.

All this great music has got to be good for my soul…

Janet

The Flower Garden Quilt and a request for help

2011-06-08T22:13:00.001-07:00

Today DD # 2 and I had our second basting party of blue hexies for the flower garden quilt. I think it looks fabulous! Here is DD # 2 working on it the other day.

And here is her progress to date.

Pretty impressive for a first time quilter, no?

But she is asking me about finishing and I don’t have the faintest idea….other than a few things I’ve seen on other people’s blogs.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good book, web site or blog on different ways to back, quilt and bind a hexagon flower garden quilt?

Wild flowers are coming fast and furious now. There are quite a few purples at the beginning of the summer. I have the Pasque flower, commonly called a crocus here, in my blog header. It is the first harbinger of spring. (Spring is short here – maybe a month long over May, then we launch into summer.)

Here are the other purples that follow behind the crocus.

Jacob’s Ladder (my book calls it Beautiful Jacob’s Ladder) a member of the Phlox family.

Then there are the Lupines (officially called Arctic Lupine).

There are great stretches of them in some spots….as you can see the dandelions are also prolific this year.

The Lungwort, or Bluebell, is not common. You won’t see big patches of them that often, but they are so beautiful when they do appear.

The flowers will continue to appear….and then disappear again before we know it. If only my garden bloomed as quickly!

Janet

Some More Great Mail!

2011-06-03T21:17:00.001-07:00

Despite the fact that Canada Post is on rotating strikes, I got lots of mail today. Look at all these lovelies!

First up, my mug rug from round 1 of Leona's swap. It is a bit late getting here, but oh so worth waiting for. Beth made me this lovely mug rug. It has wonderful colours and the grass is quilted in. And a kitty. So cute! Thanks Beth. I love it!

Here is the back – great fabric – and the card she sent.

I received five, count em, five hexie flowers from Leslie. She and I did a swap. I had a pattern she wanted and she made me these wonderful hexies, as per my request in the Inchy Hexagon swap, in exchange. My favourite is the dark one with the dark dots in the center, or maybe it is the flowered one with the orange center, or…. Thank you so much Leslie. I love them all, and what a boon to my hexie collection!

This block came in Wednesday’s mail – yes it HAS been a good week mail wise. This is my May Christmas Block Swap block from Robyn. I just LOVE the green fabric. So bright and happy! My block for May for Robyn went in the mail the other day but I forgot to take a picture of it, so it will have to wait until she receives it and posts a picture.

I don’t usually post pictures of fabric I buy but I am going to today because I want to tell you about this shop. I have been wanting to get some “modern” fabric. Just to see if I like them in person, to have a few on hand for swap blocks or other swaps when my partner is really into modern fabrics, and if I really like them to make something with them. The modern fabrics tend to be more expensive and I have never seen any of them in any Canadian stores I’ve been in, or the Alaskan store I go to sometimes.

Well I’ve found an online store that sells “modern” fabrics that I really like. The Intrepid Thread. EDIT – Duh – her name is Jewel! ~~Julie~~ has great prices and lots of selection of fabrics that look really fabulous. She is friendly and pleasant. She has great giveaways on her blog (not that I’ve won any). And both times that I have ordered from her so far the parcel has come very quickly. She wraps it so nicely too. This is what arrived from her today.

Sherbet Pips and …..Silent Cinema…

And she sent me this layer cake size square of this beautiful fabric. I’m not sure what line this is from but I think she is trying to tempt me

I haven’t done much sewing this week. The aforementioned block for Robyn and this one hexie – which I am keeping for my own collection.

All three of my daughters are currently in the Yukon – for the first time in almost a year. DD # 2 and DD # 3 just arrived at my house for a visit. DD # 2 is putting the vintage hexie flowers together with stepping stones right now and she told me we have to have a basting party, so I think I know what I’m doing tonight and tomorrow morning. Or maybe we will be finishing the blinds for her room.

Janet

Goodies received in the mail

2011-05-26T10:37:00.001-07:00

I have received a few of my monthly swap blocks in the mail this last week – April and May blocks arriving around the same time - so thought I would show them all in one post.

First up is my April Christmas block from Ann (no blog) in Nova Scotia. I love this simple but beautiful block. Such a gorgeous star.

Next my April Adventure Block from Sandi in Kentucky. Love the bright colours of this block.

Sandi tried to make me a pinwheel block as per my request. She sent me the attempted block and it had issues with lying flat. So I did a little adjusting and now it is no longer a pinwheel block, but still lovely. More of those bright beautiful colours.

Then I received my May Adventure block from Sylvia (no blog) in Australia. It is gorgeous. I love the purple fabrics she used!

I also received my May hexie from the Inchy Hexie swap from Anorina, also in Australia. I love how the hexie colours correspond with the colours in the beautiful card she sent. Such pretty fabrics she chose.

That’s all for now, except for a picture of the progression of spring. We call these little flowers “honeysuckle” because you can suck the sweet nectar out of them. They are flowers on a plant commonly called bear berry – I think cause only the bears will eat them – but also known as Kinnikinnick. The berries are dry and flavourless. In my flower book it says “Their taste and texture is often compared to a mouthful of lint.”

Have a happy day!

Janet

Friday Night Sew In Report

2011-05-21T18:33:00.001-07:00

I didn’t get a lot of sewing done last night…actually I sewed yesterday afternoon as we were heading out to a camping spot for dinner and overnight. The kids and friends were coming out to camp and asked us to secure the spot for them. We stayed there Thursday and Friday night and we’re heading back out again tonight. We just had to come home to make a cake for my son-in-law’s birthday. Oh and DD # 1 had to write a paper for school. And I had to write my post.

Here’s the gang at the camp spot. We’re missing two dogs in the photo.

I did get three green blocks for my colours quilt done…

And here’s the progress to date….

I hope everyone is having as nice a weekend as I am.

Janet

The weekend has not been devoid of sewing!

2011-05-15T23:31:00.001-07:00

I have been sick with a stomach flu since Thursday. I hate it when I get sick on the weekend! But there has been some progress made in the sewing department – and the snows of last week…

….are gone! Bird watching this morning. We bagged an American Golden Plover and Snow Geese. My friend, wife of the local bird nut, asked me if I had the Plover on my life list. I had to whisper to her that I don’t have a life list. We had a great laugh.

Yesterday I helped my daughter sew a blind for her bedroom window. It isn’t finished and I think she is going to come out this week to work on it. I bought the fabric for this blind in 1997! Pictures to come when it’s done.

Today I finished up my 12” X 12” quilt for the swap organized by Victoria as part of the 15 minutes play blog. I received my 12`` X 12 `` already. Michele made me this cheerful little quilt. Colourful and bright; just what I like. Thanks so much Michele!

I’m afraid I probably didn’t pass the “make fabric” portion of the task, although the quilt is made totally of scraps (except for the backing). Even the batting is scraps. I had this huge pile of little triangles received from the scrap basket at my LQS. It is left out for people to contribute their garbage towards my postage stamp quilt. I get so many tiny scraps and I get to use them for lots of things. I am happy with how this turned out. It is for a mystery recipient.

And some detail….

Yup. I`ve become a bit obsessed with hand quilting.

I also finished my May Adventure Block for Sylvia in Australia. Here is a sneak peek. Sylvia asked for a block suitable for a baby in pastels.

Good night!

Janet

Blogger’s Quilt Festival

2011-05-13T11:28:00.001-07:00

I don’t have any brand new finish to show, in fact no finishes from this year yet…. But this quilt was finished on December 24th.

I started making this I Spy quilt for my granddaughter about five years ago, just after I took up quilting again. I had a lot to learn (not that I’ve learned it all yet) and this quilt definitely was part of my learning curve. I made templates for the hexagons and triangles out of a stiff plastic. These worked okay, but as pieces were cut, tiny slivers were lost and the shapes morphed. By the time I was sewing everything together these were not pieces that fit perfectly.

Collecting the pictures for the quilt was fun. This was before I knew about on-line quilt stores. I begged from everyone I knew, and got a lot of pieces from the scrap box at the Alaskan quilt store I go to from time to time. There is a definite theme of animals and the out-of-doors to the charms; not really a “girly” theme, but then my granddaughter has her “outdoorsy” side.

I chose blue for the setting triangles, because that was what I could find, that or red and I thought red was too much for my girl.

Once the rows were made I and I went to join them, I discovered that they didn’t match up, thanks to the poor cutting. The quilt got shelved for several years. I looked at it once in a while but couldn’t think of how to fix it.

Then my quilting skills improved, and along with that my ability to think outside of the box, and the pattern, grew. I decided that a small sashing between the rows would fix the problem, and it did quite well I believe.

My granddaughter received this quilt for Christmas in 2010, only five years late!

She picked the backing herself.

I am still learning to machine quilt…..

I had great fun “writing” the label into the border.

Thanks for coming by and checking out my quilt. Please be sure to visit

Amy's Creative Side to see other beautiful quilts in the show.

Janet

My contribution to the debate and mail sent

2011-05-06T19:24:00.001-07:00

I know I said I wasn’t going to get involved with the modern/traditional debate, but this is something I’ve been meaning to blog about for a long time….a good laugh at me….

Since I entered the world of quilt blogging about nine months ago one of the trends I’ve heard a lot about is “vintage sheets”. I was curious. Where I live second hand stores and garage sales just don’t exist the same way they seem to elsewhere. We have a Salvation Army store in Whitehorse, but my insider knowledge is that they send all the really good stuff down south (although rumour has it that someone bought a functioning Bernina for $50 there the other day). In my town there may be one garage sale a year, and I just don’t go to the city on weekend, after commuting all week for work.

So I don’t get to see a lot of the second hand world and I didn’t really know what the vintage sheet craze was all about. One day I saw a good deal on a blog for fat quarters of vintage sheets and I ordered some, just to find out what exactly everyone was talking about.

I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw them. See that darker blue one on the top. I owned that sheet. Well probably not that exact sheet because I’m pretty sure the one I owned wore out and got ripped up to be used as rags. But the same sheet. I think I had two fitted twin sheets. And maybe top sheets too. I can’t remember – it was so long ago.

So I guess that means I’m vintage….. Or is it antique? Or retro? I’ve thought a lot about these words and I’ve decided that retro is most recent – say the 70s and 80s, vintage stretches back to the 50s and 60s and antique is before that. I have lots of vintage in my house. I’m sure some of you have noticed my vintage kitchen table where I photograph lots of quilty things. I have a lovely vintage sink in my bathroom

Or maybe it’s antique…

Anyway I think I’ll quit while I’m ahead. I had to wash the sink so that it was in an acceptable state to take a picture for the blog. I don’t want to start cleaning my whole house.

I just think it is funny: I’m a traditional and eclectic quilter living in a modern world, surrounded by vintage and antique items. I wonder if I have anything retro. Ah labels…..

If anyone wants to correct my definitions please go ahead. I would love to be educated.

On a happy note I got two items sent off in the mail today. The pin cushion top for Jacqueline is on it’s way to Sue in Australia for it’s finishing touches….

Good thing too, because I received Marina’s top in the mail today. The third and final one I will be working on.

And my hexie flowers for May are off to the UK….

My partner wanted blue/green in both the centers and the petals. I hope I’ve hit the right combination.

Cheers!

Janet

Election Day in Canada

2011-05-02T16:37:00.001-07:00

I just came back from voting, and picking up the mail. I received my hot mat from the hot mat swap organized by Cheryl. It’s gorgeous and I’ll show it to you in a minute. First I want to tell you about our adventure yesterday.

It is turning to spring here and the snow is melting fast. The little river that runs through our town opens up first and there is a channel downstream in the lake for a ways. There are lots of birds hanging around the water: trumpeter swans, a million ducks, Canada geese and even several varieties of sea gulls. It is so nice to get out on the water again, and some years we have seen caribou and muskrats when we have canoed out into the channel. We went canoeing yesterday and it was beautiful.

We took along DD # 2’s male friend who is visiting her from Newfoundland. DD wasn’t feeling well and stayed home. Her friend is here for 10 days and he’s been introduced to lots of Yukon sights. Well yesterday he had a real Yukon initiation when we managed to dump the canoe he was in! Wet from head to toe, and you have to know that water is COLD! I hope we haven’t scared him off completely!

Here’s the beautiful hot mat I received from Cheryl in Australia. She didn’t give me a blog address so I can’t tell you if or where she blogs.

Thanks Cheryl! This is beautiful and lovely and bright, just as I like things.

I’ll be working on some hand stitching tonight while I watch the election results on tv.

Janet

Versatile Blogger Award!

2011-04-30T13:51:00.001-07:00

Leslie from lesquilts gave me an award!

I wasn’t sure whether to be grouchy or happy. I’ve been feeling grouchy about blogging lately for a number of reasons. Firstly, I’m busy and don’t have much time to be creative in blogging or in sewing. Secondly I’ve been reading a lot of blogs with responses to this post. Although I think the post was written in fun it seems to have opened up lots of hurt with some bloggers. I feel a bit like commenting on it, but on the other hand think it is best ignored. But thirdly, some of my grouchiness with blogging comes from things I could complain about. I’m not going to complain because someone’s feelings are bound to get hurt and I would feel bad. Really the grouchiness is all mine. People are just people.

So on a happy note….I am secretly pleased to get the award. I didn’t start blogging to get followers or have others acknowledge me. I just like writing and taking photos, and I usually keep a journal. This was just a way to keep a neat quilting journal. But I am thrilled that I’ve met people and made friends in the blogging world and it is really touching that Leslie has given me this award. THANK YOU LESLIE!

So here’s the deal….It has been around the world a few times, but there are rules! I pick 5 (or up to 15) other bloggers and give them the award. Recipients, please read the rules. Everyone, please check out the bloggers I have awarded! I understand the purpose of the award is to introduce us to blogs we may not have seen. All the ones I’ve listed have interesting thoughts and beautiful work.

The Versatile Blogger Award rules:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post

2. Tell 7 things about yourself that others might not know about you

3. Pass along the award to 15 newly discovered bloggers (I'm going with 5 )

4. Contact these bloggers to let them know they’ve received the award

And the winners are….

http://inmysewingroom.blogspot.com/

http://quiltingpines.blogspot.com/

http://crazydaisytime.blogspot.com/

http://quiltswissy.blogspot.com/

http://pattythequiltlady.blogspot.com/

And here are seven things about me you may or may not want to know

1. When DH and I were first married we lived in tents most of the time for about ten years….in the Yukon….in the winter…with two kids.

2. I am a social worker. A burnt out social worker with vicarious trauma and maybe PTSD. (Hence the grouchiness) But I’m still a social worker.

3. I know a lot about my family`s heritage. One interesting item: my great, great grandfather in my paternal lineage was an Austrian Jew who emigrated to England.

4. I run off and on. I have completed one marathon – the Yukon Arctic Ultra, in February 2008, running on river ice.

5. I love quietness. When I am home alone I usually don`t play music, radio, television or movies. I like to listen to the radio in my car though.

6. I commute an hour each way to work. Terrible for carbon output.

7. I`m not really a big fan of chocolate. I like a bit of chocolate from time to time, but I`d take something in the butterscotch or caramel line over chocolate any day.

I’m off to my daughter’s birthday party. Happy weekend to you.

Janet

Easter tide

2011-04-23T12:19:00.001-07:00

Busy times this week. Picked up my grandkids after work on Monday and Tuesday and hung out with them for a few hours until their dad got home.

Wednesday there was a local land use planning meeting – as I’m on the committee I had to attend….

Thursday DH, DD #2 and some friends and I went to hear Gwynne Dyer speak on climate change. He is a vibrant speaker and has a lot to say to those of us who are amongst the privileged about what we need to change. Read his book - Climate Wars.

Yesterday, Good Friday, I made Ukrainian eggs with some friends. I read that Ukrainian lore says that as long as these eggs are being made by someone the world will not end. I’m not skilled at this but they still look nice. I wonder what inspired this one????

Today we are off to my nephew’s new home for Easter dinner with the family, nephew and girlfriend, DD # 1, partner and two kids, DD # 2, and my cousin and his girlfriend. I’m not sure if my niece will come or not. I made this egg as a house warming gift.

Then tomorrow another Easter dinner with friends. Monday is a day for catching up on chores and paperwork.

I did get the mug rug finished finally. Fortunately Beth was also late with mine so I don’t feel so bad about being almost a week behind with mine. A little Kaffe Fassett, a little home dyed purple, little pinwheels, a little hand quilting and voila….

’m

And the back…

Happy Easter and/or Passover,

Janet

Friday Night Sew In report for April

2011-04-16T12:12:00.001-07:00

I wasn’t feeling “on my game”, as they say, last night, but sewing helped to take my mind off my woes. I accomplished a bit of fun.

Firstly I made a little addition to Sue Mobilia’s pin cushion top. I mentioned that it wasn’t feeling quite done to me. Well now it is, not DONE course, but done for this sewer. It’s on now to Marina in Australia for the next addition.

And then, as I promised myself, I worked on some blocks for my colours quilt. I made four blocks, two yellow and two green…

And here’s a photo of the total progress to date.

Silly me. I just figured out (after I saw someone else do it) that I can add the link for all the Friday Night Sew In participants. In case you want to go and take a look. 185 people signed up this month!

http://handmadebyheidi.blogspot.com/2011/04/april-friday-night-sew-in-signups-are.html

Janet

I’m swamped with swaps!

2011-04-13T08:04:00.001-07:00

I have taken a vow not to sign up for any more swaps – for at least this week. I enjoy participating in swaps; they expand my knowledge and techniques as I try out all kinds of things I would probably never do otherwise. But I feel like I have done nothing for the last week but try and get things finished to meet deadlines. These things felt manageable when I signed up for them, but suddenly they aren’t.

To be fair I did spend a great deal of time on the weekend out walking with my dog in the sun and mud, and trying to get a fix on some birds. On Friday and Saturday my yard and the little campground across the road from me were inundated with thousands of birds which were singing quite lustily. They even drowned out the noise of the big wind. They were up in the tops of the trees and were hard to see, but would flit from tree to tree. I eventually decided they were Common Red Polls. So awe-inspiring to hear so many birds sing at once.

With all my sewing I don’t feel like I finished that much. Here’s the count.

1. Christmas block swap for Ann in Nova Scotia. Only a sneak peek – and blurry too.

2. April hexies for the Inchy hexie swap. These are travelling to Lorraine in England so I wanted to get them done early. The last couple of things I’ve sent to England are taking FOREVER to get there.

3. The pin cushion round for Sue Mobilia. This has to travel to Marina in Australia for the next round. I’m not 100% happy with what I’ve done so far and may have to add a bit to it.

4. And then last night I finished my hot mat for the Hot Mat Swap. This is going to an unnamed partner as it’s a secret swap. I am really pleased with how this turned out.

The side view….

The top view….

And the back….

I used that green fabric especially for my friend Dahn, because she loves it so much (She actually hates it, but I think it is perfect in this application)

I still have a mug rug to make and get in the mail by Friday. Phew!

And on a happy note (there is an upside to these swaps after all) I received this lovely hexie for April from Linda in California. I just love the fussy cut petals which are all different. Just like nature.

I’m off to work on a mug rug….

Janet